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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27217552">DISTRUST: Totally Dramatic Island</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fuzzboy/pseuds/Fuzzboy'>Fuzzboy</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Distrust [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Total Drama (Cartoon)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Angst and Drama, Canon - Japanese Drama, Comedy, Competition, Drama, Drama &amp; Romance, Gen, Post-Total Drama (Cartoon) Season/Series 07, Teenage Drama</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 19:49:22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>35,540</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27217552</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fuzzboy/pseuds/Fuzzboy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A group of teenagers, each the best in their field, are invited to Jabberwock Island, whereupon meeting their devilish host, are thrust into a competition of lies, betrayal, heartbreak...And ridiculous idiocy. In the end, though, only one will be left standing to claim the ultimate prize; one million dollars. 56 days, 28 teens, 1 winner...This is gonna get intense.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Distrust [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2019671</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Prologue (Episode #1)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Upupu-</p><p>Nah, I'm not doing that. Hello everyone, my name is Fuzzboy, and this...Well this is a story, can't get blunter than that. Specifically, this is a story featuring the cast of Danganronpa, with the concept of Total Drama (and really only the concept; besides two characters, this is all DR baby, so you don't need to know a thing about TD to enjoy this).</p><p>Now, I've done these types of stories in the past. One finished, one was discontinued, and another is continuing, but my co-writer is busy with his new home, so I can't really continue it at the moment. Oddly, that's what links all those stories together; a co-writer, specifically my best friend, Delta Xtreme, AKA Alexis. He's always by my side for these sorts of stories, and it's always been a nice comfort in a way. But I've also been meaning to branch out more with solo works that are low maintenance.</p><p>AND this is my first story that is both not written with him, and a relatively large scale project. And honestly, I've wanted to both do a competition story, and write a Danganronpa story, so it largely works out. Though as a heads-up...Not all 48 DR characters across the 3 games are in this; there are 26 contestants, so obviously they're not all in this. However, I do have some surprises along the way, so don't lose out hope on a favorite showing up.</p><p>With that said, I also urge you to check on Danganronpa Island by SoulfulGinger17, which shares the same premise, though was sadly abandoned 2-years ago. Honestly, if he had finished his take, this story might not even exist, but that didn't happen sadly, so here I am to fill the hole. I'm also gonna try and incorporate my Danganronpa elements in this story, so look out for surprises along the way. But yeah, in total there will be 26-episodes, each episode split up into multiple chapters for the sake of both pacing, and putting out chapters faster. There will also be some intermissions.</p><p>I feel like that's about everything I wanted to say, so...Let's get down to business!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The camera slowly faded into a view of a pale blue sky, clouds sailing by as a flock of seagulls flew overhead. It soon panned down to reveal a unique sight; a chain of five large islands, with a sixth and far smaller island in the middle of them that held them together loosely with several thin, wooden bridges. After a moment of lingering tension, the camera suddenly cut away to the central island, panning across the sunny beachside, before eventually settling on a figure standing on the very edge of the water, a large grin growing across his face.</p><p>The camera faded into a view of a clear sky, the sun beating down onto the earth like a ton of bricks. Seagulls flew through the air, their chirping and the sounds of waves crashing against the beach overpowering everything within earshot. The camera soon panned down to reveal a unique sight; a chain of five large islands, with a sixth and far smaller island in the middle of them that held them together loosely with several thin, wooden bridges. After a moment of lingering tension, the camera suddenly cut away to the island on the far-right, before settling on the sight of a sunny beachside view, the sun rising off in the distance as a cool breeze blew on by.</p><p>Soon after, an average-sized and decently handsome man popped up into view, his perfect teeth shining from the bright sunlight reflecting off of them. He looked like he was roughly in his late twenties, most likely bordering on thirties, his combed back raven hair giving off an eerie, though approachable vibe. He wore only the highest quality clothing, as he casually straightened his navy blue button-up shirt. His camo-green jeans looked completely untouched by any kind of grime or dirt, looking brand new and well-kept, and oddly enough the same could be said for his slightly worn-down blue and white hand-me-down sneakers, as if their flaws in itself were artificial to a degree. His entire appearance could be described as something that could only resemble a professional actor, the oldest thing on his entire body possibly being his odd-looking necklace.</p><p>The man in question turned to the camera with a deceptively fake smile, as he casually greeted the camera in front of him, "Welcome viewers<em> all over the world</em>, to <em>Jabberwock Island</em>, a beautiful archipelago in the Pacific Ocean, known for being a paradise of everlasting summer, hoisted up by its own natural beauty. It used to be a popular vacation spot for tourists all over the world..." His smile then turned to a twisted grin. "Well, until that one guy got eaten by a polar bear they flew in as a promotional gimmick. Here's a tip, kids; don't start spray-painting a bear with black paint. Or at least if you do, make sure to catch it on camera."</p><p>With a low laugh and a wink, he shrugged at his own words before the smile returned once more. "But after years of abandonment and constantly selling the islands out to just about anyone with pocket change, I finally came along and took this place off their hands, and bought back all the islands they senselessly gave away...Well, <em>technically</em> the producers did, but they're not the star of the show here."</p><p>He turned toward the camera with a coy sneer, as if attempting to keep those watching entranced with anticipation. "And so, that brings us to today, where I've invited twenty-six Japanese teenagers to these very islands, to compete in Canada's number one gameshow, <em>Total Drama!"</em> He flashed the camera a smile, "As all you returning viewers know, I'm your lovable host, <em>Chris McLean</em>, and soon enough, some of Japan's brightest minds and strongest competitors will be arriving, each of them the best in their own respective fields, scouted out specifically by <em>Hope's Peak Academy</em>."</p><p>Chris leaned slightly to the right to stare offscreen, his eyes shifting up and down as if he was reading something off-screen. "A government-funded school of privilege, that is the...Uh, the leading supplier of the next generation of world-changing <em>super teens?</em>" He couldn't help but squint slightly in disbelief at what he was saying. With a shake of his head though, his confidence returned with another massive grin. "Basically, unlike the last few seasons, these kids might actually be worth something."</p><p>With a sadistic chuckle, he continued by saying, "For the next eight weeks, these kids will be dealing with untamed wildlife, unpredictable weather thanks to my good pal global warming, and the worst thing of all...<em>Each other</em>." Rubbing his hands together cruelly, Chris' smile only grew in anticipation. "Oh <em>yeah</em>, I can already hear their screams..." With a shake of his head, he snapped out of his thoughts if only for just a moment. "As soon as they arrive, they will be split into teams, and every couple days, will be forced to compete in dangerous, life-threatening challenges against each other."</p><p>"Winning these challenges guarantees your safety, and continued existence in the game," he explained, "but <em>losing</em>, means that you'll have to attend the elimination ceremony, where one contestant will unfortunately be eliminated from the game, as chosen by their peers. And by the end of the Summer, only <em>one</em> teen will be left standing, and will be rewarded with..." He threw out his hands, "One <em>million</em> dollars!" He glanced off to the side, "Or about one hundred and six million, nine hundred and seventy-eight thousand yen...If you want to be technical."</p><p>With that, Chris turned back toward the camera with a big grin, "So, who'll crack under the pressure? Are these 'ultimate teenagers' really as ultimate as they appear? And will any of them even survive the first week?" He abruptly pointed at the camera, "Find out now..."</p><p>The camera zoomed out, showing off the entire beach, "On Total-" He was interrupted by a ringing phone, causing the camera to come crashing back, focusing in on the host's blank, embarrassed face as his eyes slowly drifted toward his pocket. In one sudden movement, he reached into it, pulling out the phone and placing it to his ear, "Yo, what's up? I'm sorta in the middle of-"</p><p>Chris was interrupted by some muffled sounds on the other end, as he rose a brow in confusion. "Wait, <em>what?</em> Since when did <em>that</em> change?" More muffled sounds erupted, as his eyes shrank. "What do you <em>mean</em> it was better received by test audiences?! And what do a bunch of Japanese kids know anyways-" He bit his tongue at the sound of screaming, as he held up a hand in defense, "Alright, alright, I <em>get it</em>. Okay...Okay, later."</p><p>Turning off the phone, he groaned as he rubbed the temple of his nose, before shaking his head and turning back to the camera with a deadpan look. "Now, like I was saying...Welcome," the camera zoomed out to showcase the beach once more, "to Totally," the camera zoomed out even further, revealing the largest of the six islands in its entirety, "Dramatic," it zoomed out one last time, showing the island in full view, "<em>Island!"</em></p><p>The camera lingered on this shot for a moment, as Chris groaned in the background, "Just doesn't feel the same, man."</p><hr/><p>"Annnnnnnnnnd...<em>Cut!"</em></p><p>With a snap, a clapboard smacked down, and a young girl took a step away from the camera, her mop of dark red hair shimmering in the sunlight, freckles dotting her cheeks. She tugged slightly on the tight red button-up shirt, the white t-shirt underneath tightening around her body as she winced to herself. These sorts of clothes weren't really the type she'd usually wear. If anything she tended to avoid anything this tight-fitting, but it was apparently the uniform for out here, so she couldn't really complain about it, especially since this technically counted as extra credit.</p><p>She flinched at the sounds of screaming, her head turning to see Chris McLean screaming at some poor intern, who was taking it without so much as cringing. His name was...Rantaro? She couldn't quite remember, but that sounded right. He had been fairly quiet since they had all arrived here; wasn't even sure what his talent was. All she knew was he was from Hope's Peak; all the interns and staff were.</p><p>For instance...She was <em>Mahiru Koizumi</em>, and at school, she was known as the <strong>Super High School Level Photographer</strong>, though it was abbreviated to just "ultimate photographer" for Americans. For that very reason she was specifically recommended for this...As a camerawoman. It...Wasn't the <em>type</em> of photography she was into by any stretch of the imagination, but she could make it work. Outside of her, she was at least a little aware of the talents of some of her peers working for that dreaded host; a maid, a chef, a nurse, even some kind of imposter. There were also the interns, like Rantaro, who she hadn't really gotten to know yet. They seemed...<em>Interesting</em>, but she hadn't really gotten the chance yet.</p><p>As the host finished screaming at the poor boy, he straightened his back and cracked his neck, groaning to himself as he walked away from the scene, growling out, "Stupid sponsors, what do <em>they</em> know about <em>quality entertainment</em>, huh?! Nothing, that's what! Somebody get me on a call with Jin, I'm giving him a piece of my mind!"</p><p>Rantaro stared passively at where the host had once been, before smiling warmly and walking away without any complaints, as Mahiru gave him a bewildered look. <em>"How could he shrug that off so easily?"</em> She thought to herself, before shaking her head and getting back to inspecting her camera. <em>"None of my business. Shouldn't give it anymore thought."</em></p><p>As Mahiru thought this though, her eyes scanned the beach, before finding themselves having fallen upon a boy, roughly around her age, if a little older, staring out at the water. He had spiky brown hair and bright hazel eyes, and was quite a bit shorter than average, even more than her. He was smiling faintly, a look of complete relaxation on his face, as he took in his surrounding silently.</p><p>Blinking to herself, she somehow found herself walking away from the stand-up camera, as she approached the boy. "Um...Hey, you good there?"</p><p>Mahiru watched as he jumped a bit at her words, twisting on his feet to stare at her with a flustered look. "Wha- Oh," he quickly seemed to relax, if only a little, upon realizing it was her. Forcing a grin, he rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. "Hey. Sorry, I sorta got a little distracted."</p><p>"It's fine," she quickly affirmed, her eyes staring him over in mild confusion, "you're one of the interns, right?"</p><p>"Yeah," he confirmed, letting out a low chuckle, "though I haven't really been told to do anything yet. To be honest, I don't really know if our boss has even noticed I'm here yet."</p><p>With a roll of her eyes, she muttered, "Yeah, he does seem to be off in his own little world," turning back to him, her eyes narrowed slightly, adding on, "though, I don't remember you during training either."</p><p>"Y-Yeah, I tend to blend in with the crowd a bit," he muttered awkwardly. Mahiru stared him down in suspicion for a moment...Though reluctantly allowed her expression to soften. "You're Mahiru, though...Right?" She couldn't help but flinch at the question, as he smiled, "I remember reading up on you before I came here. Your pictures look amazing."</p><p>Mahiru simply looked on for a moment, though eventually, a layer of confidence fell over her, as she gave him a smile of her own. "Well, glad to see you have good taste. Though...Who are you out of curiosity."</p><p>"Makoto," he simply replied, "Makoto Naegi."</p><p>"Well, Makoto," Mahiru started, before beginning to walk away, "I look forward to working with you this Summer."</p><p>"Yeah, same," Makoto quickly replied back, though she was already back to working on her camera, as he let out a relieved sigh. With a smile, he turned back toward the ocean. <em>"And to think...All of this came from a simple lottery."</em> As he stared out though, his expression hardened with determination. <em>"Just further proof I can't let this chance go to waste."</em></p><p>And with that, he promptly walked away from the beach, as he and the rest of the staff prepared for the contestants and their inevitable arrival.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>AND, that closes out the prologue! Just as a bit of a heads-up, these types of chapters I'll be calling "intermissions". They're chapters inbetween "episodes" that are designed to help further explore the cast, and in general be quite a bit shorter. With that said, since I don't really feel a need to draw it out, these are the staff/interns who aren't competing.</p><p>Host: Chris McLean, ?.<br/>Staff: Chef Hatchet, Kirumi Tojo, Mahiru Koizumi, Mikan Tsumiki, ?, SHSL Imposter, Teruteru Hanamura.<br/>Interns: Kaito Momota, Maki Harukawa, Makoto Naegi, Rantaro Amami, Toko Fukawa.</p><p>If they're on the above list, they're characters who I felt could add to the story, but didn't really need to be contestants (AKA the main characters). They'll primarily come into focus during intermission chapters, while episodes are entirely dedicated to the contestants. There will be occasional exceptions, but that's more or less how I'm handling it. With that said, that means that any characters not seen above have a chance of being a contestant in the game itself.</p><p>On that note though, I'll be replying to reviews at the start of every chapter, so if you have questions or anything interesting to say, don't be afraid to do so.</p><p>ANYWAYS, good night!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Welcome to Jabberwock Island (Episode #1)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>AND we're back! This episode is the official beginning of the competition, so I hope you all enjoy, especially since we'll be meeting the 26 contestants. With that said, I'm sort of in this...Weird place. I tried figuring out whether to refer to characters by their first or last names for this story. In the end I sorta settled on just using first, primarily because a majority of those who read this are likely American, and thus are more used to that. Admittedly it's gonna be kinda weird for me in some cases, but I sorta need consistency.</p><p>With that said, onto the chapter!</p><p>Review Responses<br/>- SuperSonicHeroes: Glad to see you're interested! Yeah, the cast I have planned for this story I feel is an interesting one, though admittedly I don't think any of my choices for who is/isn't competing are all too mind-blowing. And yeah, without the whole Despair Apocalypse stuff, this story is gonna be considerably lighter-toned than Danganronpa proper, though I won't be afraid to break out the big guns if I have anything interesting brewing in my head.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Chris McLean let out a tired groan as he pulled the phone away from his ear, blowing a stray hair from his face as he put the device away. He was currently inside his trailer, which was nicely decorated with just about everything he requested; protected WiFi, a comfortable bed, twenty-four-seven active air conditioning, a fully functioning kitchen, all the works. It was nice all things considered, though not quite up to the sort of quality he had grown used to over the years, which only made him angrier at the moment.</p><p>Growling through clenched teeth, Chris let out a muffled scream as he turned to the figure nearby. "I should have <em>known</em> this would happen! Jin ain't budging on the name, and isn't even allowing me reshoots! And now I gotta <em>pay</em> the interns?! What kinda operation does he think I'm running here, our budget can't handle this-"</p><p>"Chris, chill," a gruff, though deep voice interrupted, having come from a man nearly twice as tall as the celebrity, as he sat down on a couch and watched TV, half-listening to the conversation. He was muscular and large, with black skin and a pencil-thin mustache highlighted by the thick goatee below. He was wearing a chef's hat and apron, with a pale mustard-yellow shirt beneath, along with camo jeans and tight military boots. His arms had several scratches and scars along them, while hands were large and meaty, capable of wrapping themselves around a man's head and crushing it in their grasp. He was an intimidating figure to be sure, one who'd likely fit in with inmates better than anything you could find at a Summer camp.</p><p>"No, I will <em>not</em> chill, Chef!" He exclaimed, rubbing his forehead in frustration, "Do you know how stupid the average viewer of Total Drama is?! A name change like this might lose us anywhere between a few hundred thousand to even a <em>million</em> possible viewers! We need those numbers up, especially after the last few seasons tanked."</p><p>"Yeah, well complaining ain't gonna do squat to change that!" The massive, burly man, now identified as Chef snapped back, standing up from his seat and appropriately towering over the puny man. Pointing out the window and toward the beach, he said, "If you're so damn worried, then get back to hosting the show and bring up those ratings yourself, you hear?!"</p><p>"<em>Fine</em>, fine," Chris muttered, slouching as he folded his arms, "if Jin is gonna cripple my show, I guess it <em>is</em> on me to try and fix this mess myself. At least we'll get a higher viewer base in Japan hopefully."</p><p>"Yeah, maybe it'll go from our third biggest viewer base to our <em>second</em>," Chef grumbled sarcastically as he rolled his eyes.</p><p>"Hey, don't sass me when I'm moody," Chris sniped at his comrade, before shaking his head and turning back to him, "anyways, anything else you wanna tell me before I gotta get back to running this trainwreck?"</p><p>"Uh...Yeah, there was one thing," the brute noted, as he walked over to the corner of the trailer and picked up a small box, which he dropped lazily on the table, "you got mail."</p><p>"All the way out here?" He questioned, before deadpanning, "If it's that freak's fan mail, then just burn it-"</p><p>"Nah, man, this is from someone else," Chef interrupted, as he held up a letter and looked over the name, "came from somebody named...Ju...Junk-" He spat, "How the Hell do you pronounce this?!"</p><p>"Dude, you're asking the wrong guy," Chris dully responded, "I'm gonna have a hard enough time remembering half these kid's names already."</p><p>"Well, whatever, let's see what this freak sent us," the larger man muttered, tearing open the top of the box and showering the room with styrofoam puffs. Looking into the box though, his face visibly paled, "the hell?" Reaching inside, he slowly unveiled what had been laying within.</p><p>It was a small, surprisingly hardened teddy bear, colored differently on both sides of the body. The right side was snowy white in color, looking exactly like the sort of plush toy he'd get his niece for Christmas, with a cute button eye and nose. But the left side was pitch black, a shade so dark it could easily blend into the shadows, and unlike on the right side, his was showing off rows of sharp, eerily realistic teeth, and instead of a button eye, it was glassy and tinted a crimson red. Staring at the thing was...Unnerving, to say the least.</p><p>Chris looked over the teddy nearby, pulling it away from the far larger man and giving it a look. "What the...No <em>freaking</em> way," he suddenly snapped, "somebody made a <em>toy</em> out of the bear who ate that guy I was talking about!"</p><p>"What psycho gets off on this sort of thing?" Chef muttered...Only for his eyes to widen as he turned to the host with a harsh scowl.</p><p>Upon noticing this, the host threw up his hands, "Yo man, I didn't ask for this! This is creepy, even for me." With a shrug, he tossed the bear away, as it landed on the couch softly. "But whatever, we got bigger fish to fry anyway. Especially since the school sent you that assistant and all." With a clap of his hands, he began to walk toward the door. "So, let's get going."</p><p>Chef reluctantly began to follow, glancing back at the bear, and asking, "You sure we shouldn't lock that thing inside a closet or something."</p><p>"Relax man, its just a toy, it'll be here when I get back later," Chris affirmed, already walking outside and into the blazing heat of the Summer sun. Moments later, Chef followed, albeit slowly.</p><p>With a slam, the door shut, and eclipsed the trailer in darkness. The bear laid where it was in silence, unmoving. Though, after a few moments, its right eye slowly began to glow, as a red light shined across the trailer. A high-pitched, disturbed voice slowly erupted from within it. <em>"Upupupu...Ah-hahahaha!"</em></p>
<hr/><p>
  <strong>TOTALLY DRAMATIC ISLAND: EPISODE #1</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>A DESPAIRING NEW ENVIRONMENT</strong>
</p>
<hr/><p>The screen slowly faded from black to a view of the beach once more, where Chris McLean stood with his star-making smile. "Welcome back to," he shivered, "...Totally Dramatic Island..." With another groan, he shook away the name to shine his smile once more. "Anyways, it's time to meet the twenty-six contestants. In the coming minutes, they'll be arriving one by one on this very beach."</p><p>He leaned in toward the camera with a smirk. "Though, a bit of a heads-up, we <em>might</em> have exaggerated the quality of the island. Didn't wanna scare any of them off knowing this place had been abandoned after all." As he said this, he looked off-screen, before exclaiming, "And here comes our first player now!"</p><p>Sure enough, sailing toward the beach at incredible speeds was a bright white jet boat. As it came onto the shore, a boy jumped onto the sad, a small black duffel bag hanging off his shoulder. He was a rather plain looking boy; the type to blend into a crown with little effort. He had short brown hair, with pale green eyes, and a rather bland, though conventionally attractive face. He had on a plain white pocket shirt, along with a dark green tie, along with black jeans and white sneakers. He was quite skinny, though appeared to have some muscle on him.</p><p>As the boy's eyes wandered across the beach, an expression of discomfort settled onto his face. Nearby, Chris looked on, as he briefly recalled a conversation from prior to the game.</p>
<hr/><p>
  <em>Chris couldn't help but feel a cold sweat run down his face, as he sat in the chair and stared on at the imposing figure before him, staring him down from his desk with calculating eyes. The room was pitch black, with the exception of the light shining in from the window, and even then it barely illuminated the host, and the figure before him remained shrouded in darkness thanks to his ever so large leather chair.</em>
</p><p>"<em>I am going to make this clear, Mister McLean," the figure started, his voice smooth though cripplingly emotionless, "the contestants we have chosen for this game show of yours, have been chosen for the express purpose of being analyzed, in order to see if they're worth Hope's Peak's time. As such, you will not be limited in how you may treat them." The figure scowled lowly. "Though I should make it clear...If at any moment we feel our time and money is being wasted, we won't be afraid to pull the plug on this whole thing. Do we understand each other?"</em></p><p>
  <em>Chris simply stared on in relative silence, unable to properly process the words coming to mind, though this appeared to be enough for the figure. "Glad to hear it. I'll be keeping in contact, Mister McLean." The figure leaned back in his chair, and finished the one-sided conversation with a simple, "Don't disappoint me, Mister McLean."</em>
</p>
<hr/><p>As he thought this though, Chris watched as the boy approached him with great interest. <em>"Wonder why they're interested in this kid, then..."</em> Shrugging this thought away, he threw on his trademark grin, and welcomed the boy with, "Hey, <strong>Hajime</strong>, welcome to the island man."</p><p>Hajime gave the host an odd look for a moment, before forcing a sort of smile and extending a handout, "Yeah...Thanks for having me-" He cringed a bit at the sort of frown at the attempted handshake, causing him to pull back awkwardly. "Um...Yeah-"</p><p>"Anyways, dude," Chris interrupted, before pointing behind him, "you're unlucky enough to be the first one here, so maybe take a seat for a while. We got a <em>lot</em> of players to get through." Reluctantly, Hajime did as the host said and proceeded to walk toward a palm tree nearby, his eyes turning to stare at some of the crew walking along the beach setting up cameras and the like.</p><p>Moments later, a second boat arrived, dropping off another boy, though this one didn't have any luggage with him. He was also considerably stranger looking, with long, frizzy white hair, greying eyes that appeared to once be green, and skin that looked sickly and pale. His shoulders were broad, and he was rather tall and wiry for his age, with distinctly long limbs and a small body. He had on a thin, dark green zipper coat with a white scoop-neck t-shirt, along with black jeans and pale brown boots. In many ways, the boy looked almost dead-eyed and oblivious to how truly off-putting he appeared, and not helping matters was the strange look on his face that made him look perpetually high.</p><p>"<strong>Nagito</strong>," Chris greeted, giving the boy a smile, "welcome to the show."</p><p>"It's an honor to be competing, Mister McLean," Komeada simply responded with a smile, though his voice, while smooth felt oddly chilling, causing a strange shiver to run down the host's back, "I look forward to giving this competition everything I got," as soon as he said this though, an oddly insecure, awkward laugh erupted from him, "though admittedly, I don't really have high hopes."</p><p>Chris, still not having fully recovered from the boy's odd presence, simply nodded along with whatever he was saying, "Uh-huh, well good luck regardless, dude," he pointed back toward Hajime, "you and your competition will be waiting over there."</p><p>Putting on another smile that also deeply disturbed the man, Nagito walked past him and up to the other boy, giving him a friendly wave, "Hello," as he walked up though, he noticed Hajime was oddly watching the crew from afar, as he blinked and tilted his head, "what's wrong?"</p><p>"Huh?" Hajime mumbled, turning to see the strange boy staring right at him, "Oh uh, sorry. Admittedly I'm sorta getting used to this whole 'getting filmed twenty-four-seven thing...It's kinda weird."</p><p>Nagito hummed at this...Before shrugging with a content smile, "I guess I can see why it'd be a little strange. It is a little weird knowing we won't be getting much privacy out here, but on the bright side, that at least means we'll never be alone in a way." Hajime gave his new comrade a look at his rather odd comment, as Nagito simply continued to smile. "Anyways, my name is Nagito Komaeda. It's a pleasure to meet you..?"</p><p>"Hajime Hinata," he confirmed simply, "and likewise," Nagito responded with another smile, as Hajime allowed himself to relax slightly. <em>"Admittedly, this guy's a little weird, but he seems decent enough."</em> Allowing himself to smile, the two soon began to strike up a conversation, just as a third boat rolled up to shore.</p><p>The third figure was a girl this time, and similar to the prior boy, had no luggage with her. She had pale skin and faint lavender hair that was long and stringy, which was put-off by her bright purple eyes. She was wearing a dark purple blazer jacket along with a brown tie and white blouse underneath, as well as a black short skirt and knee-high purple boots with similarly knee-high socks. She was oddly also wearing what appeared to be custom-made black gloves. Unlike the prior two, the aura she gave off was one that felt far more reserved, comparable to that of an iron vault oddly enough.</p><p>"<strong>Kyoko</strong>," Chris started once more, "what's up?" However, to his own displeasure, the girl seemingly ignored the host, walking right past him with a stone-faced expression, as if he didn't even exist. Chris blinked for a moment, before rolling his eyes, "Teenagers."</p><p>As she walked up to the pair of boys, Nagito gave the girl a quick wave, "Hey there," similar to the host, Kyoko mostly ignored him, though at least bothered to give the boy a simple nod in response, before walking past the two and beginning to lean against a palm tree further away, her eyes focusing on the beach with laser focus.</p><p>After a moment, Hajime couldn't help but give her a dirty look, scratching the back of his head while muttering, "Kind of an ice queen, ain't she?"</p><p>"Give her time," Nagito reaffirmed, a lazy smile still permanently plastered to his face, "she might just need some time to warm up to the place is all."</p><p>Hajime couldn't help but turn to look at the boy beside him, giving him an uncomfortable frown for a few moments, before sighing, "I mean...If you say so."</p><p>The fourth contestant arrived soon after, standing straight with a military-style canvas backpack wrapped around both shoulders. The boy had a narrow though intense face, well-sculpted and handsome, though his neon red eyes and natural frown made him almost uncomfortable to look at. His hair was black and spiky, though short, and his eyebrows were long and bushy. Oddly, he was wearing some kind of white military uniform, along with a red armband on his left arm, and knee-high lace-up black boots. Compared to everyone before him, he stood out pretty obnoxiously from the rest.</p><p>Giving the host a salute, the boy suddenly screamed at a volume far too loud for comfort, "Good day, mister McLean! My name <strong>Kiyotaka</strong> Ishimaru! Thank you for accepting me, sir!"</p><p>Flinching back at his words, Chris scowled at the boy for a moment before adjusting himself, "Uh-huh, just go over there please."</p><p>With another salute, the boy put up no fight as he quickly ran over to his fellow players, giving them a large grin and saying, "Gentlemen, it is an honor to meet you! My name is-"</p><p>"Kiyotaka. We know, we could hear you from back here," Hajime simply stated his patience already on the verge of breaking this early into the game as he gave the boy a deadpan, though friendly enough look.</p><p>Kiyotaka, taken aback by the revelation nonetheless, looked down at the ground for a moment, "Oh. Well, I do apologize!" He was somehow unaware he was just as loud even this close to the boys, both of them flinching with every word. "Regardless, it is an honor to be competing alongside you two!"</p><p>"Three, actually," Nagito corrected softly, gesturing over to the girl in the distance, "she's also competing."</p><p>"Really? Then why is she not with us?" Kiyotaka asked, before suddenly screeching out, "This is a time for <em>bonding!</em> Before we jump into this game, it's best to ensure that we all are capable of working with each other if given the opportunity!" With a disapproving shake of his head, he added on, "I may need to speak to that girl and remind her of her manners!"</p><p>Nagito and Hajime couldn't help but share a similar awkward expression, both reading the other's face and gaining a similar mutual understanding. <em>"This guy is kind of annoying."</em></p><p>The fifth contestant arrived wearing a white backpack, with a serene smile on her face. She was of average height though had a rather mature body for her age, with flowing ash blonde hair and a pale complexion. Her eyes were a relaxing plum color, She was wearing a sleeveless pink sweater with a long white dress shirt underneath, getting rounded out with a nice orange tie and a dark purple skirt with a striped pattern, topping it off with knee-high purple socks and lace-up brown shoes. Despite being the same age as the others, she distinctly looked the most "adult" of the bunch, appearing mature and respectable with a kind smile.</p><p>Walking up to the host, the girl shook the host's hand and gave him a smile, "Hey, I'm <strong>Kaede</strong>. It's very nice to meet you mister McLean."</p><p>"Please, call me Chris," he corrected in an oddly polite manner, giving her a smile of his own as she walked away, his eyes scanning her from afar. After a moment though, he glanced back toward the camera and whispered, "And we're <em>sure</em> all these kids are teenagers?" The camera nodded. "Seriously?!"</p><p>Meanwhile, Kaede walked up to the trio of boys, raising a brow in notable confusion as she heard Kiyotaka say, "And <em>that's </em>why you <em>must</em> work on your posture! Nagito, you look like you're about ready to crumble at this rate!" Nagito let out an awkward laugh at this while Hajime simply glowered in annoyance. After a moment, Kiyotaka turned to face the new arrival, throwing on a massive smile and saying way too loudly, "Ah! Another player! Glad to meet you, my name is-"</p><p>"He's Kiyotaka," Hajime interrupted with a grumble, rubbing his head before continuing, "he's Nagito, I'm Hajime, and the girl over there is Kyoko."</p><p>Turning on his heels, Kiyotaka glared at the boy, "Hajime, it's rude to interrupt me while I'm speaking! Apologize immediately to both me and-" He blinked, before turning back toward the girl with a flustered look, "Oh! I'm so sorry, madam, I completely forgot to ask for your name!"</p><p>"It's Kaede," she politely mustered up, scratching her cheek awkwardly, "and it's fine. Honestly, today's probably just gonna be awkward for everyone anyways, since we'll be meeting so many new people, it's fine if you end up forgetting-"</p><p>"Nonsense!" He interrupted, "Kaede is a beautiful, respectable name! I wouldn't dare allow myself to forget it, you hear me!" She blushed profusely at his words, as he simply smiled obliviously, unaware of the strange looks the pair behind him were exchanging.</p><p>With the sixth boat came the next player, this one radiating with star quality and pulling along a bright pink roller bag. She was tall and beautiful, with a slender body and a cute, calming face, which her eyeliner and blush accentuated. Her long blue hair went down in waves down her back, matching well with her dark blue eyes. She was wearing some kind of traditional school uniform, with a long-sleeved white shirt with a blue sailor collar and a pink ribbon bow tie with tails, a blue tartan skirt, black thigh-high socks, and brown, buckled shoes. Despite the casual attire though, her presence almost felt otherworldly, as if someone of an entirely different race was walking among them. A superior race.</p><p>All five contestants turned to stare in awe at the girl, their mouths agape in shock as they couldn't help but watch every movement this beauty took. Even Kyoko, who had avoided the others thus far, couldn't help but sneak a peek, her surprise just as notable as the others despite her rather lax expression.</p><p>"Ladies and gentlemen," Chris started with a confident smile as the girl walked up to him, before dramatically announcing, "may I introduce the one and only, <strong>Sayaka</strong> Maizono!" She gave the group a wave and a soft smile.</p><p>Among the contestants, two, in particular, were shining in awe, as Kaede whispered to herself, "Oh my goodness..." As soon as Sayaka walked up to her, she squeaked out, "You're...You're...Oh my goodness, Maizono! Oh my gosh, I can't believe I'm competing with a celebrity!"</p><p>Sayaka giggled a bit at this response, only to yelp as Nagito ran up to her as well, "It is truly an honor to be among someone such as you, with such raw, brimming talent. It's clear I must have been blessed with the most incredible of luck to have such a chance to meet you."</p><p>An awkward smile crept across Sayaka's face, as she muttered, "While I appreciate the admiration, I'm really no different from you guys. I'm just a teenage girl who can sing is all, no big deal-"</p><p>"Oh but it is, Miss Maizono," Nagito interrupted, clasping onto her hand and staring through her with those large, beaming eyes, "you're an inspiration to thousands of people all across Japan. Without you, this world would lack so much hope. You can not simply diminish your own value, for you above <em>all</em> of us is so vital to the very fabric of our society." He crouched down on one knee, bowing his head and saying, "Untalented filth like the rest of us isn't fit to be in your presence."</p><p>As Sayaka stared down at the boy with awkward unease, she turned her attention toward the other players, noticing that one of them in the form of Hajime looked somewhat clueless. Throwing on a friendly smile, muttering, "I'm guessing you're confused, right?"</p><p>"Uh...Yeah. Very," he confirmed, "what's the big deal here exactly?" The rest of the cast instantly turned toward the boy in a rush, each of them with looks of shock on their face. "...What?"</p><p>"How do you <em>not</em> know who Sayaka Maizono is?!" Kaede asked incredulously, "She's Japan's number one pop sensation! She's released four singles in the last year that have <em>all</em> charted to number one!"</p><p>"She's worth far more than all of us combined," Nagito muttered, Sayaka quickly growing more and more uncomfortable with his presence by the second, taking her hand back from him with a small scowl on her face.</p><p>"Really, it's not a big deal," Sayaka groaned out, "I'd prefer you guys didn't make a huge deal about this. I appreciate the support of course, but I think I'd rather just be treated like anyone else for now."</p><p>Kaede and Nagito both seemed to flinch slightly at her tone, the former looking off for a moment, before nodding, "Yeah...I can understand that. Sorry, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."</p><p>"No, no, it's fine," Sayaka confirmed, giving her a kind look, "honestly, I kind of expected this reaction. Thanks for understanding though."</p><p>The other girl seemed to shine a bit at her words, and after exchanging a smile, the group quickly descended back into calm serenity. Though Nagito occasionally couldn't but steal a glance at Sayaka once more, an eerily lifeless look in his face, as a strange grin crept onto his face, his eyes practically twinkling with this disturbing sort of fascination.</p><p>The seventh boat came wielding the shortest of the contestants thus far, the boy looked far more like a child than a teenager, and he was wielding no luggage in hand. He had a refined face, one that almost appeared royal, and was thin with pale skin. His purple eyes stuck out in the daylight, and his long, wavy black hair was a little freaky to look at. He was wearing a white suit, along with multiple bandages wrapped around his arms and legs that waved in the wind, along with a chessboard bandana and what appeared to be some badges from the military. Among the cast, he looked almost freakishly innocent.</p><p>"<strong>Kokichi</strong>, welcome to the island, man," Chris started, clearly a little confused at his appearance, "uh...You are a teenager...Right? Not just some kid?"</p><p>"Oh, I could assure you," he started with a young, though almost raspy voice, "I am indeed of the required age...Potentially." The last word caused the host to flinch a bit, as he hummed to himself and walked past him and up to the other contestants, "so these are my fellow players? How utterly...Disappointing." He chuckled, "You're all rather boring to look at. Can't say your personalities will be much better."</p><p>Kaede flinched a bit at his words, muttering, "Little brat."</p><p>"How dare you speak to us in such a way!" Kiyotaka exclaimed, pointing at the boy and snarling out, "I won't stand for it! Apologize at once!"</p><p>"Why should I?" He genuinely questioned, a large Cheshire grin spread across his entire face. "It'd be a lie. And while I have no issue doing so, <em>asking</em> me to lie is certainly a new one." Kokichi chuckled eerily. "How very interesting. Perhaps you will not be as much of a bore as you appear."</p><p>Growling through clenched teeth, Kiyotaka was about to say something else, only to stop upon feeling a hand land on his shoulder. Looking back, he couldn't help but feel surprised upon seeing Kyoko standing behind him, her face blank and emotionless. "It's perhaps for the best that you don't bother humoring him. It's what he wants."</p><p>Kiyotaka was left frozen in shock at the girl's sudden appearance still, though was snapped out of it upon hearing Kokichi's rather eerie giggling. Turning to stare down the boy, he found himself face to face with the imp, a sinister sneer staring right through him. "No, please, continue to scream. It'll do so well in silencing me." Kiyotaka shivered at his words, taking a few steps back, as the boy's grin widened. "This game will be so much fun."</p><p>With the eight boat came a rather punkish-looking girl only carrying a guitar case and a small, pink canvas bag. She had long multi-colored hair, with stripes of black, pink, blue, and white, some of which is tied into two oni-horns on the top of her head. She was wearing a sort of modified sailor uniform, with a black pleated skirt and ripped thigh highs, and both ears were pierced with six needle earrings. She was also wearing a necklace, a black scrunchie with a stitch-like pattern on her right wrist, a black and pink glove-like sleeve on her on her left upper arm with a silver bracelet, and three silver rings on her left hand. Among those who had arrived, she looked especially alien.</p><p>Chris however, was more than satisfied with her rather odd outfit, letting out a low laugh before saying, "Welcome-"</p><p>"Wait, wait, wait!" The girl called out with a loud, high-pitched, though oddly soothing voice, "Can I do it? Can I, can I?"</p><p>Blinking at her words, Chris muttered, "Uh...Sure?"</p><p>With a sort of squeal, she screamed out, "I," she ran forward, cheering out, "Buki," she through the air, "Mio," crashing into the sand, she slid through it with a big ol' grin, "Da!" Putting a hand to hear, she asked to nobody in particular, "What's that spell? Well, put it together and what do you get?" She finished off her odd little chant by pulling over her guitar case, and one single swift movement, pulled out a large wooden guitar, running a pick along the strings while screaming out, <em>"</em><em><strong>Ibuki</strong></em><em> Mioda! </em>Haha!"</p><p>Looking up at her peers with an expecting grin, the others simply...Stared on for a few moments, exchanging glances, before a majority of them gave her a rather pitiable chorus of clapping. Despite this, Ibuki pumped a fist and jumped to her feet with a massive smile. "Nailed it!"</p><p>Sayaka couldn't help but smile to herself despite this, whispering to Kaede, "Seems nice enough, at least." Kaede merely nodded along to her words.</p><p>Moments later, the ninth player arrived, holding no luggage, but standing proud with a big grin on her face. She had tanned skin with a tall, curvy body, her 'assets' being of notably large size to some of the boy's notice. She had wavy, shoulder-length brown hair up in curls, and was wearing a short-sleeved white shirt with the top few buttons undone, exposing a large amount of cleavage. She was also wearing a red miniskirt and cream-colored loafers with no socks. Among the girls thus far, she was by and <em>far</em> the most athletic, with plenty of lean muscle and notable abs. Of the contestants, she probably the only contestant Chris felt he could call a 'woman'.</p><p>"Not bad..." The host whistled with a creepy smile, before shaking it away and replacing it with the false one he usually portrayed, "everyone, give a nice warm welcome to <strong>Akane</strong>!"</p><p>"Yo, it's nice to meet you guys," she called out with a relaxed look, her voice husky though appealing.</p><p>Some of the boys, and Ibuki, couldn't help but stare at her figure in...Fascination, as Hajime in particular, looked away with a soft blush. Kokichi giggled to himself, "We can clearly see why you were brought onto this show at least."</p><p>With a roll of her eyes, Akane stomped forward while stretching out her arms, "Whatever, shrimp." As she walked up to the group, she approached Ibuki in particular with a big grin, "'Sup."</p><p>Ibuki let out a whistle, giving the girl a smile, "Ibuki is impressed!" Looking over the girl, a blush flooded over her, "You're a pretty awesome sight, Akane!"</p><p>"Thanks," she simply responded, before taking a moment to flex one of her arms, causing her muscles to flare up and expose how muscular she truly was, "been working this body out since I was a toddler. Hell, I could probably bench press most of you without any effort."</p><p>"Yes, because clearly, your muscles are what she was staring at," Kokichi hummed out with a cruel glare.</p><p>Akane turned her gaze toward the short boy, only to feel a smile rise from nothing as she cracked her knuckles, "Speaking of bench pressing..." And before anybody knew it, the girl was chasing the boy down the beach, the latter laughing maniacally as she let out a roar not dissimilar to that of a grizzly bear.</p><p>Frowning in slight worry, Hajime mumbled, "Remind me not to piss her off."</p><p>"Yes," Nagito mused with a soft chuckle, "she's <em>very</em> strong. Very impressive, indeed." All this got him was an odd look from Hajime, as he seemingly completely missed the point of his words.</p><p>The tenth player arrived carrying a simple suitcase, as the boy took a moment to adjust his pair of square glasses and look over those before him. He had well-groomed and short blonde hair, with diamond blue eyes, a perfect posture, and a thin body that nonetheless looked quite strong. He was wearing an expensive-looking black suit with dress shoes, and by appearance alone, looked richer than the rest of the cast combined. He carried an aura of smug superiority, which was only made worse by his surprisingly tall height.</p><p>Scanning the group, the boy hummed in distaste, "Disgusting..." With a shake of his head, he breathed in for a moment to take in the environment...Before narrowing his eyes, "Alright, time to get down to business." Walking straight past the host before he had time to respond, he called out, "Listen up, because I'm only saying this once. My name is <strong>Byakuya</strong> Togami. If you value your time and energy, it'd be best if you simply quit now and don't waste all of our time. But if you insist on continuing to play, be warned that all your efforts will be for nothing."</p><p>The rest of the cast simply stared at the boy in silence, unsure how to properly respond...Until Nagito shrugged and began to walk away, only to have the collar of his jacket grabbed onto by Hajime and get pulled back. "I doubt he was being literal, Nagito."</p><p>Nobody else dared stray from the pack, an odd sort of smirk forming on Byakuya's face as he let out a low laugh. "So be it..." Walking up to the ground, he distanced himself from the other players, a smug look resting firmly on his face as he sneered at the group in disgust, which they returned with glares of their own.</p><p>Moments later, Akane walked back up to the group, poking at her ear while grumbling out, "Man, that little shit can run pretty well for someone with such small legs." As she said this, she took notice of the rich boy not far away. "Who's that guy?"</p><p>Before she could get a response to her question though, the eleventh player arrived, carrying a massive blue duffel bag and rocking an incredible toothy grin. He was tall and unbelievably muscular, with a wide frame that made him twice the size of almost every other player. He was wearing a white tank top under a black gakuran, as well as blue tracksuit pants, along with some chains and a whistle around his neck. Two scars ran down his eyes and his hair was pitch black and spiky with a similar goatee underneath, and while he seemed friendly enough, there was still something oddly intimidating to the guy.</p><p>Summoning up all his strength from within, the massive boy suddenly called out at the top of his lungs, "What's up! My name is <strong>Nekomaru</strong> Nidai! Don't forget it, even if you go to hell!" Bellowing out a loud, boisterous laugh that seemed to almost shake the very foundation of the beach. "I'm just kidding, but seriously, let's make sure we all play this game to our maximum potential, alright?"</p><p>"Those are some serious encouraging words, dude," Chris spoke up, a faint smile on his face, as he hopelessly tried to conceal his own intimidation.</p><p>"Hmm?" Nekomaru questioned, looking down at the far smaller man and letting out a low growl, "No good, no good at all! How the Hell am I supposed to respect you as our host if you can't even speak right?!"</p><p>Chris flinched back at this. "Uh...What-"</p><p>"Your voice is too soft! Let your voice rise from the bottom of your stomach!" He screamed into the host's face. "Come on, let it out!"</p><p>"Uhhhh..." The host started, glancing over to the cast as if asking for help, only to get nothing in return except blank looks of befuddlement or players on the brink of breaking down into laughter. "Look Nekomaru, we're wasting time here! I've gotta get ready for the next-"</p><p>"Hello."</p><p>The two men turned at the voice, only to see a rather strange looking girl staring right through them. She looked...Foreign to say the least. She had snow-white skin, crimson eyes, and black hair in massive pigtails. She was wearing a gothic lolita-style outfit, consisting of a white blouse with a long-point collar, a white ribbon tied around her neck, and a black jacket that includes white ribbon lacing down the sleeves. Beyond looking rather creepy, she practically breathed a sort of pretension that quickly made just about the entire cast feels awkward and uncomfortable.</p><p>"I believe you are supposed to introduce me?" She stated, her voice high-pitched and almost doll-like. Chris and Nekomaru were still only staring at her though, as she tilted her head with a soft, fake-looking smile. "Very well. I have zero issues in doing so myself. I am Celestia Ludenberg. Ludenberg. It is my name. But if you don't mind, I would prefer you to call me <strong>Celeste</strong>."</p><p>"Celeste?" Nekomaru questioned, stepping away from Chris and scratching the top of his head. "Uh...What's your <em>real</em> name though?"</p><p>Celeste hummed at this, before giggling. "I don't know what you are talking about. Celestia Ludenberg <em>is</em> my real name. But as I mentioned, I would much rather you call me Celeste." She stepped up to the man, staring him in the eyes, before whispering, "Do we understand each other?"</p><p>Cringing to himself, he threw up his hands and began to walk away, "Uh...Yeah! Yeah, we do, sorry."</p><p>"Very good," Celeste clapped once, before tilting her head again and walking up to the ever-growing group while humming humbly. Meanwhile, nearby Kyoko watched the girl like a hawk, her eyes traveling alongside each step, her eyes narrowing in suspicion.</p><p>"Inspecting our competition, our we?" She blinked at the voice, turning to the left to see Byakuya sneering at her. "Glad to see some degree of competence among this pack of lemmings, even <em>if</em> it'll ultimately mean little once I decide how to handle you all."</p><p>Kyoko glared at the boy for a mere moment, before shaking away the look and asking calmly, "You said you were a Togami, yes?" He raised a brow at her, as she added on, "Quite the family name you're attached to...If I remember correctly, they had their 'inheritance' event rather recently. Apparently, the youngest son won..." She turned to him with a scowl. "Considering you still have the name...I'm guessing you were that son."</p><p>Byakuya's expression twitched for just a moment, before finding itself replaced by a sort of smirk. "You've done your homework. Don't tell me you were expecting someone of my prestige to compete?</p><p>"I wasn't," she simply replied, before turning back to the beach, "but it's always best to be prepared for any possibility."</p><p>His eyes shifted for a moment, humming to himself as he turned toward the ground. "Interesting..."</p><p>Moments later, the thirteenth player arrived in possibly the most unceremonious way yet, and was simply carrying a canvas bag and make-up kit. She was a tall though slender girl with long blue hair and rounded glasses, though outside of this she looked rather bland, though still pretty. She was wearing a white blouse and a knee-length pleated skirt, alongside an orange bow, black socks ending under the knee, and grey shoes. She was...Sorta boring to look at.</p><p>"Glad you could make it, <strong>Tsumugi</strong>," Chris welcomed, having finally recovered from his strange confrontation with Nekomaru, giving her a warm smile, "I had a feeling there was a toss-up on whether or not you'd skip out on us in favor of an anime convention or something."</p><p>"While that thought <em>was</em> tempting," Tsumugi confirmed with a bashful smile, "I decided that this was an opportunity I simply couldn't refuse. After all, when else would I get a chance like this, right?"</p><p>"Right you are," Chris said with another fake smile, as the girl walked past him and toward the others. He then turned toward the camera. "I give her a week." As Tsumugi met with her new peers, the host turned to them with a shining grin. "Now, with Tsumugi, I'm proud to say we're about halfway through this."</p><p>"God, why're there <em>so</em> many people," Akane complained, rubbing her head in annoyance, "this place is already way too damn crowded."</p><p>"A higher number of players means higher ratings, simple as that," Chris replied, shrugging in the process as he turned back to see the fourteenth boat already sailing away, as the next player stood before him...Before the host flinched at what was before him. "What the?!"</p><p>Standing before the host was the strangest contestant thus far, holding no luggage and standing out creepily among the rest. His skin was an ashy grey color and his face visibly lacked eyebrows, and his hair was slicked back and upward into a sort of curl, causing it to look wild and jagged, which was not helped by the shades of black and white within it. His eyes were a blood red color, and a scar ran down one of them. His clothing looked equally bizarre; he was wearing an opened-up black jacket, along with a long purple scarf and thick black pants rounded out with sharp boots. His left arm was also heavily bandaged all the way up to the elbow. Among a group of men and women, he looked almost otherworldly.</p><p>"I can feel it," a deep, baritone voice bellowed out, a wicked grin growing across his face, "your fear...It appears most of you know your place." With a low laugh, he folded his arms, asking, "I'm guessing you'd like to know who I am?</p><p>Chris, caught up in his own shock, muttered out, "W-Well, you're-"</p><p>"You're rather brave to dare approach me," he stated simply, clicking his tongue before continuing, "others may see your courage as recklessness...However...I welcome it. In honor of your courage, I shall reveal to you my you never forget is as long as you live!" Striking a pose, he bellowed out, "You may call me...<em><strong>Gundham</strong></em><em> Tanaka!</em> Remember it well, for it is the name that will one day rule this world!"</p><p>Chris, alongside the rest of the cast simply...Stared at the boy. Unable to properly process exactly what just happened. Though amidst the confusion, Ibuki was simply smiling, as if unaware of how strange he truly was, as she giggled to herself before whispering to Kiyotaka, "He seems neat." The boy gave her a look in response.</p><p>With a huff, Gundham walked as far away from the camera as physically possible, taking a seat in the sand and growling deeply. "Do not bother me. If you do, I won't allow enough time to process your mistake before I cast you away from this Earth, do you all understand?" Nobody said a thing, as he smirked. "Good." He then proceeded to go about his business in private.</p><p>With the fifteenth boat came the next logical player, though, among the boys, he was somehow just as odd of a sight as Gundham for some. He was a short, thin boy wearing a nice, hand-tailored black suit. He had a smooth, 'cute' face with dozens of freckles, and had very short dirty blonde hair with the sides shaved. His eyes were golden in color, and a natural scowl rested on his face.</p><p>With a groan, the boy began to walk forward with his hands in his pockets. Chris walked up to him ready to welcome him to the island, only for the boy to raise a hand and say, "Save it."</p><p>Taken aback at his words, Chris narrowed his eyes, mumbling under his breath, "I never got this much lip from the last cast."</p><p>Walking up to the contestants, the boy scoffed, before saying, "Name's <strong>Fuyuhiko </strong>Kuzuryu... Just so we're clear, I don't plan to act friendly and shit with any of 'ya, but stay outta my way, and we won't have to deal with each other."</p><p>Kiyotaka huffed at this, folding his arms and saying, "Well, that is simply no way to treat your fellow players, Fuyuhiko-" However, upon realizing exactly what his last name was though, Kiyotaka's face paled. "...K-Kuzyr-ryu..."</p><p>And just as quickly, the color faded from everyone else's faces, with some players like Hajime and Kaede taking a few steps away, while Kyoko, Byakuya, and even the distant Gundham turned toward the boy reluctantly, each of their faces appearing worried, almost panicked, and yet were trying to hide their own fears behind faces of confidence. And upon noticing this, Fuyuhiko couldn't help but smirk. "There we go, now you get it."</p><p>With a low chuckle, he walked up to the group, saying, "And since we all get each other now, I just wanna say again; stay outta <em>my</em> way, and I won't bother you. But give me too much shit, and getting eliminated will be the <em>least</em> of your problems."</p><p>"So much big talk but such a little man," and just like that, Fuyuhiko's face went red with rage, as he turned to see none other Kokichi walking down the beach, sweat running down his face and a massive grin stretched across his face, "you're barely half an inch taller than me, and here you are, making demands to so many far stronger and smarter than you'll ever be."</p><p>Clenching a fist, Fuyuhiko's eye twitched, as he began to stomp toward him, "The <em>fuck</em> did you just say to me?! You know who I am, punk?!"</p><p>"Oh yes...Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu, meaning you're almost certainly a part of the Kuzuryu Clan, the most feared Yakuza clan in all of Japan," Kokichi simply said...Before yawning mockingly, "it's quite boring that you somehow think that makes you interesting."</p><p>"Wait a minute!" Chris interrupted, drawing both boy's attention, his eyes wide in horror. "I cast a <em>criminal</em>...And this time I <em>didn't </em>know it?!"</p><p>"Wait, you've done that <em>before?"</em> Kaede questioned in horror.</p><p>"That is <em>besides</em> the point," Chris stated, before turning to the boys with a strict, annoyed look, "and you two, shut up and let me do my job! We're behind schedule."</p><p>With a grumble, Fuyuhiko reluctantly walked toward the group, his hand still clenched into a fist as he glanced back at Kokichi. In the process, he made out what appeared to be the boy making a certain gesture with his hand. With another growl, he whispered under his breath, "You'll get what's coming to you sooner or later, punk."</p><p>Stepping off the sixteenth boat, a brown girl quickly began to wave at the players as she gave them a sweet smile, a bright blue bag under her arm. She had bright brown hair combed upward into a curly ponytail, and had lapis blue eyes comparable to that of the sea. She was wearing a <em>very</em> tight white tank top, with a red sweatshirt over it, and a pair of blue hot pants. She looked very athletic compared to the other girls, and even some of the men, and was such a beaming ball of sunshine, you'd be forgiven for going blind in her bright and shiny presence.</p><p>With a smile, Chris walked up to greet the girl, only to get interrupted by her saying, "Heya! I'm Aoi Asahina! But my friends just call me <strong>Hina</strong>." She started, smiling brightly at her peers.</p><p>While the host growled to himself, among the other players, Sayaka quickly returned her smile, giving her a wave of her own while saying, "It's nice to meet you, Hina." Looking her over, she wondered out loud. "Out of curiosity...Are you perhaps a swimmer?"</p><p>Gasping in shock, Hina's eyes sparkled in awe. "Oh my gosh, I am!" Running up to the singer, she excitedly asked, "How did you know that?!"</p><p>"I'm psychic." Hina, along with everyone else, went silent and stared at her. Sayaka's face was completely blank for a moment...Before smiling. "Just kidding. I just have really good intuition."</p><p>"Woah," Hina muttered, "that's like a whole other <em>level</em> of intuition then."</p><p>"She only further proves how <em>truly</em> talented she is," Nagito sighed out, Hajime giving the boy beside him an annoyed look.</p><p>Though among the contestants, one didn't seem as convinced at her explanation. "Hmmm," Ibuki hummed...Before shaking her head, "nope, Ibuki just thinks you're psychic." Placing two fingers to her head, she quickly asked, "Quick, what am I thinking of?"</p><p>"Now, now, girls," Celeste spoke up, getting between the three and giving them all a soft, creepy smile, "let's not bother the poor thing. We can leave this humor for when the game properly begins." Reluctantly, both Hina and Ibuki backed off slightly, as Celeste turned back to Sayaka, "Though I will say, that <em>is</em> quite the talent you got, Sayaka. I'd be interested in learning more about your methods if we get the chance."</p><p>Sayaka gave the gothic girl an embarrassed smile at this, though seemed almost uncomfortable with what she had asked. Nearby, Chris let out a groan, looking off to the side while saying to himself, "Okay, so I guess my job doesn't matter anymore. Guess these kids are somehow too <em>good</em> for real introductions-"</p><p>"<em>Look out below you fuckin' virgins!"</em></p><p>Chris' pupils sunk at the vulgar words, looking up, only to yelp and just barely dodge out of the way, as a girl landed on the beach from above, some sort of rocket shoes having propelled her through the air to arrive in style. "Fuck yeah, it worked perfectly, just as I wanted it to! Just as perfect as me in fact!"</p><p>With an obnoxious laugh, the girl turned her attention toward the cast, who watched on in utter befuddlement. The girl had an hourglass figure, with long strawberry blonde hair, where her goggles were resting firmly. She was wearing a modified pink sailor school uniform and a matching skirt, her collar noticeably exposing her cleavage, along with black studded fingerless gloves, with black heeled-boots with gold buttons and buckles on them. She seemed like this odd mix of a mentally insane popular girl, an anti-authority punk, and something straight out of a steampunk movie.</p><p>"...What the <em>Hell</em> was that?!" Chris screamed, jumping from the sand and staring the girl down, "are you a freaking <em>psychopath?!</em> You could have landed on me!"</p><p>The girl pouted at this, "Yeah, I know, and I was <em>so</em> close too." Chris' eyes twitched in anger, as she laughed mockingly at the older man. "Anyways losers, guess I may as well tell you who the fuck I am already. I'm the one, the only - <strong>Miu </strong>Iruma! Make sure you remember it, cause I'm gonna change the world, get all the ass I want, and own this fucking competition!"</p><p>"That's the spirit!" Nekomaru cheered from the crowd, his massive body standing just as massively as his own spirit. "Own your optimism! That's the path to victory!"</p><p>"Jeez, can you quiet down, dude, she's <em>right</em> there," Akane groaned out, somehow unaware that she was being just as loud as him.</p><p>Nekomaru huffed at this, shaking his head and giving the girl beside him a glare. "I must humbly refuse, miss..."</p><p>"Akane, and don't call me miss, man," Akane lazily explained, seemingly barely paying attention to the conversation.</p><p>"Got it," he confirmed, before getting back on track, "but as I said, I must refuse! To quiet down would be to give up on everything I hold dear! At all times, I must show all those around me that they mustn't give up, and the only way to do that," he suddenly screamed, "is to ensure the message is drilled so deeply into their head that they <em>couldn't</em> forget it no matter <em>how</em> hard they try!"</p><p>"Well you can certainly drill me in any way you want, big boy," Miu cooed mockingly, giggling at how quickly his face turned a bright red, as she walked past the two while saying, "you two are fucking hopeless man! Gonna drive me all kinds of wild with all that raw sex appeal you two are showcasing!"</p><p>As the two blushed at her words, Akane growled under her breath and formed a fist, about ready to jump the girl, only to get restrained by Nekomaru before she had the chance, causing Miu to quickly break down into a fit of laughter. Nearby, Hajime watched on in utter bafflement, before facepalming, and muttering, "And the longer I stay here, the longer I question <em>why</em> I signed up in the first place..."</p><p>Dusting himself off, Chris grumbled under his breath, "Bunch of ungrateful, psychotic...Argh!" Breathing in, he quickly composed himself, before turning back to see the next contestant stepping off.</p><p>Similar to Nekomaru, the next player was absolutely gigantic, easily over six feet tall and two hundred pounds, only they were a female instead. She had reddish-dark skin with long stringy white hair. Her eyes were a pale, greyish-blue, and she had long scars on her face and right shoulder. Similar to prior players, she was very a traditional female student uniform, only with the addition of bandages wrapped around her calves and forearms, both of which were incredibly muscular and toned. Her face was resting in a natural frown, though despite this, she appeared to be friendly enough.</p><p>Chris stared on, his mouth wide open and agape in shock, "Woah." Putting on a smirk, he walked up to her and said, "<strong>Sakura</strong>, glad you could join us. Was the ride here good?"</p><p>Giving the host a smile, she said, "It was fine, thank you," her voice was rough and strained, though at the same time gentle and polite, comparable to that of a warrior, "I appreciate you accepting my application. I must admit, I had been worried I would be denied for some of my more...<em>Notable</em> qualities."</p><p>"You kidding, no way were you getting denied," Chris confirmed, and as a rarity among the contestants, his voice sounded oddly...Genuine, almost to an unnerving extent. "Anyways Sakura, your peers are that way."</p><p>With a nod, Sakura walked up to the group, and as she expected, their immediate reactions were...Mixed. Most backed away instinctively in fear, others simply were trying to ignore her. Her face fell, though not by much; she had been expecting it after all. Though among those unwilling to speak, one voice shined from the crowd of shadows.</p><p>"Hiya!" Turning to the voice, Sakura saw a far shorter girl staring up at her with a smile, "My name's Hina, it's great to meet you!"</p><p>While off-put by her introduction for a moment, this was soon replaced with a soft expression, as Sakura nodded, "It's likewise quite nice to meet you, Hina." The two exchanged a small smile, as they began to walk toward the back of the pack, Hina quickly starting up a conversation with the girl, as some of the others watched in interest.</p><p>Humming to himself, Byakuya couldn't help but examine every fiber of Sakura's being, "Nothing more than an ogre," he whispered, though soon smirked, "could be of <em>some</em> use with proper training." As he said this though, he chuckled, glancing back to see Kyoko still glaring at him. "While I'm used to commoners staring, you certainly take it to another degree entirely."</p><p>She didn't respond to this, simply continuing to stare. Though unbeknownst to the boy, she had not been staring at him; instead, her eyes were resting on a pair of blue-haired girls, specifically one with a pair of glasses on. Tapping her chin, her eyes narrowed, as if she was watching for something to show itself. <em>"Something about her seems off...Better to keep an eye on her than not."</em></p><p>The nineteenth boat came moments later, the boy on it jumping onto the sand and quickly jogging up to the players. Among the boys, he easily had the most 'punk' flare to him, with spiky, dyed orange hair and a goatee, He had an athletic though wiry frame, and was wearing a white jacket with a t-shirt below with some kind of band logo, along with black skinny jeans, a chain necklace, and top of the line platform shoes. He seemed well-off, and yet was desperately clinging on to a thin string of pent-up rebellion.</p><p>"Yo dawg, <strong>Leon</strong>, welcome to the island man," Chris welcomed, holding up a hand which Leon promptly high-fived while jogging by.</p><p>Letting out a cheer, Leon gave the cast a massive grin, saying, "Yo, what's up, everyone-" As he was saying this though, his eyes fell upon the same pair of blue-haired girls. With a massive smirk, he jogged up to the two, "Well <em>hello</em> there, ladies." Throwing an arm around both of them, he scooted between them while saying, "May I just say you two might just be the hottest girls I've ever laid my eyes on?"</p><p>Sayaka seemed to almost cringe at his words, pushing his arm off her lightly while Tsumugi simply continued to smile. "Why, thank you! Though, I'm not <em>that</em> attractive. I'm kinda boring…"</p><p>"You kidding, you're like a <em>total</em> hottie," Leon complimented further, the two closing in on each other while Sayaka began to walk away, shivering slightly as she came to a stop beside Ibuki and Kaede.</p><p>"You good?" The latter asked, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.</p><p>"Yeah, I just," looking back at Leon, who was still conversing with a now giggling Tsumugi, Sayaka glared to herself, "that guy gives me a bad vibe."</p><p>Meanwhile, though, Ibuki was simply humming...Before shrugging with a smile, "Eh, Ibuki likes him. Sure, he's a bit too eager on the whole touchy-touchy stuff, but maybe that's just his style, you know?" Sayaka and Kaede turned to her with confused looks, while she simply smiled obliviously. "Besides, it's too early to judge now. Let's give the poor guy some time. You'll see, he's probably like wicked cool!"</p><p>Sayaka seemed hesitant at this recommendation, as Kaede let out a sigh, "She...Has a point. Let's at least give the guy a chance."</p><p>Sayaka's eyes narrowed somewhat at this, but put up no further fight. However, she turned her gaze back on Leon, who had stopped bothering Tsumugi in favor of talking to Nagito and Hajime. "Yeah...Yeah, a chance." She felt her eyes narrowing somewhat.</p><p>The twentieth contestant hopped off the boat, shaking it in the process from his weight, before taking a moment to adjust his glasses. He was a dark-skinned, muscular boy of incredible height, comparable to Nekomaru and Sakura before him. He was wearing a dark brown blazer and matching pants, though was completely barefoot. He also appeared to be wearing some kind of box around his body. His hair meanwhile was long and wild, completely untamed, giving him an almost barbaric appearance matched by his red eyes, only to be thrown off by his glasses and handsome face. In many ways, he looked more like an animal than a man.</p><p>"<strong>Gonta</strong>," Chris started, slightly unnerved by his appearance, but not allowing himself to show fear this time, "welcome to Jabberwock Island, buddy."</p><p>Gonta stared through the host in silence for a moment, his red eyes piercing the host's heart. Chris visibly flinched at this, causing the hulking man to quickly realize what he had been doing. "Oh. Gonta apologize, did not mean to scare you. Gonta sometimes forget how scary-looking Gonta is."</p><p>"I wasn't scared, don't worry about it!" The host said, potentially a little too quickly. "Just uh, move along please."</p><p>With a bow, the boy quickly made his way toward the other players. Near the back of the group, Sakura hummed a bit at the boy, as Hina looked up at her. "You good?"</p><p>"Yes," Sakura confirmed, still looking over Gonta in interest, "it's just that boy...He reminds me of someone I knew back home is all. The same muscular figure, same wild hair..." Noticing her friend's confused look, Sakura gave her a smile. "Sorry. Just a bit of reflection is all."</p><p>"No, no, I get it," Hina reaffirmed with a sheepish look, before humming, "well...Do you think you'd get along with him?"</p><p>"I'm not quite sure," Sakura mumbled, before sighing, "I'm...Not the best with people. Though, admittedly I am wondering if he'd perhaps be a good sparring partner." Raising her arm, she flexed it for just a moment while smiling. "It'd be a shame if my training had to take a backseat to this game."</p><p>Nodding along in understanding, a smile grew across Hina's face while saying, "Well, maybe later we can ask him to hang out. Get a handle on his personality."</p><p>Sakura chuckled humbly at this, before nodding along, "Yes, that sounds...Nice." The two exchanged a soft look, as the next boat arrived onshore.</p><p>The boy was stringy and weak looking, though this is put off somewhat by a baggy looking, bright green jumpsuit. His hair was ruffled and messy, only contained by a single grey beanie, along with being dyed a bright neon pink, which was matched by the contact lenses he was wearing that made his eyes the same color. His teeth were long and sharpened, looking similar to a shark's maw. His fingers fiddled around a toolkit in his left hand.</p><p>"<strong>Kazuichi</strong>," Chris welcomed once again, as he had been doing the whole day, "what's up man?"</p><p>"Nothing much, Chris," he greeted back with a raspy, slippery voice, before giving the host a fistbump, "thanks for bringing me on."</p><p>"No problem, dude," he waved off, before pointing back toward the crowd, which Kazuichi proceeded toward.</p><p>"Hey guys, what's up?" Kazuichi greeted his peers, only to be greeted back with a nasty glare from Miu.</p><p>"The fuck's with the toolkit, dork?" She asked while walking up to him, before sticking out her tongue and screaming out, "What, you think you're a handyman or some shit? I bet you couldn't even fix a damn car."</p><p>Taken aback by her words, he rose his free hand in defense, "Yo, chill. I just brought it in case is all-"</p><p>"In case, huh? Well, you can screw off with that noise," Miu mocked, flicking his forehead with her finger, "if some shit is broken, I could fix it a hundred times better <em>and</em> faster than your scrawny ass, beanpole!" He whimpered and flinched back at this, rubbing his head as she cruelly smirked. "What, you gonna cry?"</p><p>With a scowl, Kazuichi huffed and walked past the girl and up to the boys nearby in the form of Hajime, Leon, and Nagito. Leon in particular shook his head, muttering, "That's rough, man?"</p><p>"Yeah, what's her deal?" Kazuichi wondered out loud.</p><p>"Miu is simply a very talented, gifted young lady unafraid of expressing her talents," Nagito chirped out, a disturbingly serene smile on her face, "she was just letting you know to not touch any of the devices since she could clearly do a far better job working on them than you ever could."</p><p>Nagito smiled sweetly, somehow unaware of the glares he was getting from Hajime and Leon, while Kazuichi simply looked a bit hurt. After a moment, Hajime shook his head and turned back to the new arrival, "Honestly, I think she's just got a massive ego problem. I would just stay out of her way and maybe keep your head down around her."</p><p>"Yeah...Yeah, I guess you're right," Kazuichi admitted, before groaning, "but man, I really wanted to show off my mechanical skills...Eh, I guess I'll just have to wait for the perfect opportunity then."</p><p>"Yeah, that's the spirit, man," Leon said, slapping his new friend on the back. After a moment, he then pointed at his hair, "Also, rocking haircut, dude. What dye do you use?"</p><p>Kazuichi's face brightened slightly at the question and was about to answer...Only to find himself distracted as soon as a new girl walked onto the beach. An enchanting, foreign beauty to be exact. She was a tall, pretty girl with pale blonde hair neatly combed down to her thighs, her pale skin and blue eyes allowing her to come across as well off. She was wearing a green and white dress with a large red ribbon with a blue and silver jewel on the chest and dark green, almost black, ribbon with diamonds in her hair. She also wears a bracelet on her left wrist, black and gray thigh high socks, and red mary janes. In many ways, among an otherwise very attractive cast, Sonia somehow came across as above all of them.</p><p>She gave the crowd a small wave, before bowing, "Hello, my name is <strong>Sonia </strong>Nevermind." She looked up and gave the crowd a smile. "I am very pleased to meet all of you." Kazuichi could feel his face burning up, a red color having taken it over before he even had a chance to stop himself.</p><p>Meanwhile, Chris walked up to the girl, explaining, "Miss Sonia here is actually from the European country of..." Blinking to himself, he pulled up his phone, and after a moment of looking, said, "Novoselic?"</p><p>"Yes, yes," she cheered, clapping her hands, "I am here to represent the Kingdom of Novoselic with pride, but as such," she gave the cast a confident, though friendly look, "I hope none of you will hold back, for I certainly won't!"</p><p>Kazuichi however wasn't really hearing what she was saying, too focused on his own clouded thoughts. Noticing this, Leon smirked, clapping his friend on the back, "Dude, go talk to her already."</p><p>And before Kazuichi could react, he was suddenly pushed forward and toward the girl, who stopped in front of him in confusion. Blinking at the boy, she smiled, giving him a small wave, "Hello."</p><p>In a panic, Kazuichi quickly bowed before the girl a few times, "I-It's a pleasure to meet you, M-Miss Sonia!" Coughing into his hand, he scratched the top of his head while blushing profusely, "I-I'm Kazuichi Souda. I-I'm a mechanic, so...If something ever needs fixing, don't be afraid to ask, you know?"</p><p>"Understood," she confirmed with another smile, causing his blush to only worsen. She was about to say something else, only for her eyes to wander for a moment, as they caught onto a certain boy with a long scarf, laying out in the sand far away from the rest of the group.</p><p>Noticing her lack of attention, he asked, "Uh...Miss Sonia-" She began to walk toward the other boy, causing him to flinch, "H-Hey!"</p><p>She didn't hear him though, as she was too preoccupied with the other boy, walking up to Gundham and taking a seat on the ground beside him, which he didn't seem to notice for a moment, at least until she said, "Hello."</p><p>His eyes slammed open, as he glanced at Sonia for a moment...Before smirking, "You made quite the mistake approaching me, girl...I shall give you until the count of three to leave me be, before I disintegrate you before the rest of these fools."</p><p>While she seemed more confused than anything at the veiled threat, the other boy nearby took it very seriously, as Kazuichi ran up to the two, "H-Hey dude, leave her alone! She was just saying hi!"</p><p>Having noticed the mechanic, Gundham smirked cruelly, standing up from where he had been sitting and striking an offensive pose in front of the other boy, "Oh, so you wish to be destroyed as well, boy? If you insist, I certainly wouldn't mind making an example of you."</p><p>Kazuichi couldn't help but yelp slightly upon realizing the sort of impossible beast before him. Gundham, while seemingly nothing too scary, actually looked decently strong, his arms, in particular, appearing to be quite ripped in fact. Not helping matters was that horrible smirk; one that seemed to <em>invite</em> pain in a way.</p><p>"Now that's enough," the two flinched at the tone, only to notice Sonia now between them, "I <em>refuse</em> to let anyone fight for so few reasons." She then gave them a smile, "Find one of worth and I shall allow it. Until then, please refrain."</p><p>Kazuichi froze at this in somewhat of a nervous stir, though Gundham then scoffed, turning away and walking back to where he was sitting. "You're lucky I respect your bravery, wench, because otherwise, you and the jester would be nothing more than red puddles staining this beach." Sonia, seemingly finding a message behind the threat, simply nodded along with what he said, before walking away, Kazuichi following in tow like a servant.</p><p>The next contestant arrived moments later, scratching at his head and grumbling loudly to himself. He had slightly tanned skin and a tall, muscular build which gave him a bulky figure. He wore his hair as a pompadour, which turned grey in the back which ran down to his shoulders. He was wearing the clothing of a delinquent, including a high-collared black long overcoat, adorned with the symbols of dragons, worn open over a white t-shirt. He was also wearing baggy black pants held up by a belt and his shoes are white loafers. He was quite the intimidating figure, though in a completely different way than Sakura or Gonta. This boy seemed <em>genuinely</em> dangerous.</p><p>"Yo, <strong>Mondo</strong>," the delinquent rose a brow at the voice, turning to see Chris smiling at him, "what's up, dude?"</p><p>Mondo clicked his tongue before rolling his eyes, "Shove off," he growled out, before stomping past the host and toward the other players, fully intent on ignoring them as well.</p><p>"Oh no you don't," he stopped upon feeling someone grab onto his jacket. Looking back with a horrid scowl, he saw Kiyotaka standing there with a glare of his own, "I've just about had enough of people deciding to distance themselves instead of <em>properly</em> treating one another with enough dignity to at least introduce themselves! One is annoying, two is infuriating, three is agonizing; four is <em>unacceptable!"</em></p><p>"Get your <em>damn</em> hands off me!" Mondo suddenly growled out in a surge, jumping away from the other before twisting on his feet to face him, "And who the <em>Hell</em> do you think you are telling <em>me</em> what to fucking do?! You wanna get your ass kicked, huh?!"</p><p>"Big talk from such a lousy excuse of a man," Kiyotaka stated firmly, the two now fronting on each other, waiting for the first move to be made.</p><p>"The <em>fuck</em> did you just say?!" Mondo screamed, preparing to throw a fist at the boy.</p><p>"Woah, woah, woah," Chris interrupted, "look I'm fine with a lot of crap, but no starting fights on the beach. Wait until the game starts to do that."</p><p>"But...You were fine with me and the other guy almost fighting," Kazuichi pointed out.</p><p>Chris simply gave him a deadpan look, "Who are you again?" Kazuichi flinched in despair, "But you get my point! Knock it off until I'm done with this. We only got three kids left anyways."</p><p>Kiyotaka and Mondo sent one last glare at each other...Before both turned away, Mondo muttering, "Consider yourself lucky, dick."</p><p>"Likewise," Kiyotaka responded, "I wouldn't have even allowed you a chance to throw the first punch," Mondo growled at this, before walking to the back of the crowd.</p><p>"Alright, so you said only three of us are left," Fuyuhiko asked, before muttering, "can we move this along then, cause I really just want to get this over with-" However, he went silent as soon as he saw the next person stepping off the boat.</p><p>She was a tall, pale young woman with a slim though strong body. She had long though stylized silver hair that was tied up in two braids, and her eyes were a peculiar bright red, only hidden by a pair of square glasses. She was wearing a dark turquoise school uniform with a short black skirt, with black leggings underneath. The most bizarre thing of all was sheathed bamboo sword behind her back, lying in wait for her next time to use it. In a game full of strangers, one had arrived to be a reminder of his home, one that had brought on many mixed feelings.</p><p>Chris however, went about introducing like she was any other player, "Alright, our resident swordswoman, <strong>Peko</strong>, is here. What's up?"</p><p>"The sky," she stated bluntly before walking right past him. He blinked, before tapping his chin to figure out if that had been a half-baked joke, or more just an excuse to move along. Fuyuhiko already knew the answer well and true, as her eyes focused on him.</p><p>However, she was interrupted halfway, as Tsumugi got between them, "Oh my goodness, I <em>love</em> your hair!" Without even bothering to get permission, she began to fiddle with Peko's hair between her fingers. "So silky...So <em>smooth</em>. And the work you did on it is <em>excellent.</em>" She leaned in. "What's your secret."</p><p>"Shampoo," she stated simply once more, only this time, she seemed far more annoyed. Despite this, she was able to keep up a polite, though emotionless, demeanor.</p><p>"No, no, I mean how do you get this style <em>specifically</em>," Tsumugi clarified, leaning in even further and invading her personal space.</p><p>"Jesus," Mondo grunted while facepalming, before stating, "she <em>obviously</em> doesn't wanna talk to you, so get outta her way already!"</p><p>Flinching at his tone, Tsumugi instantly did exactly as she was told, walking away from the swordswoman, as Peko continued along her path, and came to a stop...Right beside Fuyuhiko, who was barely managing to keep himself under control, gripping onto his suit and grinding his teeth in frustration.</p><p>Soon after, the penultimate contestant arrived. He looked considerably older than the other players, with a stubble on his chin, aged chocolate brown eyes, and a massive set of dreadlocks that were sticking up. He was wearing a worn-out mustard yellow shirt, with a white button-up on top, and a school jacket on top of that. He was using some rope as a makeshift belt, which was holding up massive black, baggy pants rolled up to his ankles, rounding out the look with scandals. In many ways, he sort of looked like a mixture of a stoner, a homeless man, and a con artist.</p><p>The contestants stared on in silence, unable to properly process the figure before them...Before Byakuya muttered, "Did a bum wander onto the boat by accident?"</p><p>"Certainly seems like it, yes," Celeste confirmed with a nod.</p><p>Deeply insulted by their words, the new arrival was about to speak. But before he even <em>had</em> a chance to get a word in, Chris blurted out, "Okay, <em>no!"</em> Giving the man a glare, he said, "There is <em>no</em> way you're a teenager!"</p><p>Blinking, the new arrival smiled, "Oh, I'm not. I'm twenty-one, man."</p><p>With a twitching eye, the host screamed, "Then why are you here?!"</p><p>"Oh, well you see, the forms only really required you to be in <em>high school</em> in order to compete. There was no mention of age of any kind, dude," a confident smile spread across his face, "and since I got held back a few times, that meant I could totally compete, man!"</p><p>"Abusing a loophole to get into a competition," Celeste questioned, before giggling into her hand, "quite the devious and <em>despicable</em> play." For the first time in the competition, Celeste's voice was notably laced with venom, though whether this was due to anything the man had actually done, or for some other reason, had yet to be seen.</p><p>"Well...I guess I can't really <em>change</em> anything now...Even <em>if </em>you smell like a Chinese restauraunt's dumpster." Having lost track of who was left, he muttered, "So you are, then?"</p><p>"Oh," the man muttered, before throwing on a relaxed smile, "I'm Yasuhiro Hagakure; <strong>Hiro </strong>for short!"</p><p>"Yeah, yeah, move along now," Chris grumbled, clearly having grown tired of dealing with the man, as he moved along, "God, this better <em>not</em> be another Ezekiel situation..." Letting out a relaxed sigh though, he smiled, "But luckily, we only have one player left," turning to stare out at the sea, he announced, "and here she comes now!"</p><p>Moments later, as expected, the girl arrived. She had short, pale mauve hair that was slightly curled up and down at the tips, the style held together by a pink hair clip styled like the spaceship from Galaga. She was wearing a one button dark teal-grey cardigan with a symbol on the chest pocket and a hood that has pointed ears on the top and two pink eye-like markings on the front. She was also wearing a paler pink cat-like backpack as well that has a white ribbon and a white pocket at the bottom. Under her hoodie was a white buttoned shirt with a black shirt line, with a pink ribbon and a pale beige skirt, with black leggings underneath. In her hands was a handheld gaming console, which she was tapping away at while ignoring the rest of the world.</p><p>"<strong>Chiaki</strong>," Chris said. She ignored him, continuing to play her game. "Chiaki..." She continued to completely ignore that he was even there. "Chiaki!" He screamed, swiping the game away from her.</p><p>She blinked at the lack of a device in her hands, before sighing. "My game..."</p><p>"Okay, so now that you're not so distracted," he grunted, putting the game in his pocket, before finishing, "we can finally get a move along and get to the actually <em>interesting</em> part of the competition." As he was saying this though, he couldn't help but notice the girl beginning to seemingly doze off. "Uh...You good there, brah?"</p><p>Letting out a loud yawn, Chiaki mumbled, "Now that I don't have something to do...I'm getting...S-Sleepy..." And with that, she feel asleep right where she was standing.</p><p>Chris, unsure of how to properly react, looked around for a moment, before saying, "So...Uh...Could one of you perhaps carry Chiaki for me and bring her along with us?" Without any hesitation, Gonta did as he asked, picking the girl up and hoisting her onto his shoulder. "Thank you."</p><p>"Gonta is just happy to help," he chirped out respectably.</p><p>"Now, with everyone here, we can <em>finally</em> get a move on," Chris finished, before beginning to walk away, "so, if you all wouldn't mind, follow me to the next immediate area. This game has <em>officially </em>begun."</p><p>And with that, the host, along with the twenty-six reluctant contestants, left the beach, anticipating the game that soon awaited them.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>AND that's the end of part #1! Sorry for the ABSURD length, but truth be told, episodes are pretty damn long. Though even among the ones I had planned, this'll probably be one of the longest chapters of the story. What can I say? I wanted to introduce all the characters in one chapter, and that sorta takes a bit.</p><p>With that said, our official cast is:<br/>Females- Akane Owari, Aoi "Hina" Asahina, Celestia "Celeste" Ludenberg, Chiaki Nanami, Ibuki Mioda, Kaede Akamatsu, Kyoko Kirigiri, Miu Iruma, Peko Pekoyama, Sakura Ogami, Sayaka Maizono, Sonia Nevermind, Tsumugi Shirogane.<br/>Males- Byakuya Togami, Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu, Gonta Gokuhara, Gundham Tanaka, Hajime Hinata, Kazuichi Souda, Kiyotaka Ishimaru, Kokichi Oma, Leon Kuwata, Mondo Owada, Nagito Komaeda, Nekomaru Nidai, Yasuhiro "Hiro" Hagakure.</p><p>Overall, I don't think I made too many controversial picks. In fact I say for the most part I just took the most obvious ones. Despite this, I had fun writing a majority of these guys, and I'm looking forward to the plots I set up for them this chapter. Because really, that's all this chapter was; set-up. Making sure that going forward I have plenty of plots to work with and do whatever I want to do with them. I have endings planned for a majority of them, but plans do change...</p><p>With that said, since I like doing this sorta thing, may as well include some fun facts:<br/>- While Total Drama and Danganronpa are the primary franchises in play here, this story was also heavily inspired by Survivor, Drawn Together, Big Brother, Clerks: The Animated Series, The Amazing Race, Clone High, and The Mole. These inspirations range from helping with developing plotlines, learning about the genre, and influencing the comedy/plot progression.<br/>- This story was inspired by a few other fanfictions; Danganronpa Island, Extra Life, The Legend of Total Drama Island, Class 78th Watches the Future, Total Shuffled Island, Never Say Never, Total Drama Nations, and more! I recommend all those stories for those interested by the way.<br/>- Yasuhiro Hagakure was the first contestant finalized for the story. Tsumugi Shirogane was the last. They're also the last two characters alphabetically.<br/>- Contestants who came close to getting cast as contestants include Chihiro Fujisaki, Junko Enoshima, Teruteru Hanamura, Hiyoko Saionji, Ryoma Hoshi, and Angie Yonaga. All these characters were either scrapped, or had their role in the story repurposed in some way.<br/>- Prior to the season, every major character was given a "theme song". These will be revealed whenever a contestant is eliminated, with links on my profile.<br/>- This chapter is 13K words long, and was written in 2 days upon beginning work on it.</p><p>And...I think that's it. See you guys for part #2!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Exploring Jabberwock Island (Episode #1)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>AND after a very long period of time of not updating this, it's back! Let's not waste time any more than we have to and just get to the review responses.</p><p>Review Responses<br/>- SuperSonicHeroes: Glad to hear most of your favorites got in, I like a lot of these guys myself. And yeah, the Monokuma moment in my eyes is more or less setting up that this won't be your typical competition story, as I have a lot up my sleeve to help the story stand on its own as its own thing. On the note of Byakuya though, it shall all be revealed with time.<br/>- D-Kirb: Yeah, I was 100% looking for a balance when it came to casting; rational to eccentric, morality-based and impurity-based personalities, smart and dumb, that sorta thing. It's honesty this very thing that led to so many characters getting scrapped from the cast in the end. And if I have it right, I believe you're talking about Miu, and in that case...Yeah, let's just say in-universe, the editing room was probably a fucking nightmare considering how much they likely had to censor or completely cut from the final episode. GOOD THING THAT SINCE THIS IS FANFICTION, I don't gotta worry about that.<br/>- DeltaXtreme (Chapter #1): Thanks so much for the support, dude. I appreciate it.<br/>- DeltaXtreme (Chapter #2): ...Oh yeah! I genuinely forgot that, as far as the Danganronpa franchise goes, you only really have experience with the first game, so like, around 65% of the cast is foreign to you. Though glad I was able to bring in your two favorites; I do remember pretty well how fond of them you are when you went through the game.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The camera cut to the contestants, all twenty-six of them standing in silence as they stared up at the building before them, unable to properly process the situation, and instead, simply stood there agape in shock. Though after a moment, Mondo smashed the palm of his hand against his head, growling out, "The <em>fuck</em> is this?!"</p><p>Before them was a large, spectacularly beautiful hotel...Or at least, the remnants of one. Not to say it looked <em>atrocious</em> really, as there were some nice parts; a pretty large pool, a huge main building just behind it, and all around it was a multitude of complex, wooden cottages. However, over the years, it appeared the hotel had fallen into ruins, with vegetation taking over and paint chipping off the walls. While it all certainly looked sturdy <em>enough</em>, at the same time, the place was practically a melting pot of disaster, as if at any time some of the local wildlife would burst in and tear the place to the ground.</p><p>"Uhhh," Kazuichi started with an anxious look, "weren't we supposed to be staying at some award-winning hotel?"</p><p>"You are," the host interjected, walking past the crowd with a massive false grin, "I just never claimed it was a <em>modern</em> award-winning hotel." Kazuichi's face fell at this, as Chris went on to explain, "Welcome to Mirai Hotel! In the past, it was considered a little slice of heaven...About a decade <em>later </em>though, and it certainly kept this moniker, only it transitioned to being such for the <em>animals</em>."</p><p>Byakuya and Celeste scowled lowly at the pathetic establishment, while Hiro scratched his head and asked, "Is this place, like...Even inhabitable, dude?"</p><p>Chris shrugged playfully, "Eh, maybe." All this answer did was cause the group to turn their scorn on him. "Look, you lot are the players who signed up. We chose you because we thought you could handle it," he lied, not wanting to reveal the true reason for them being there, "but if any of you don't think it's worth it, head on back to the beach and we'll send you packing. So...Any takers?" Nobody moved an inch. "Cool. Now, like I was saying, this is indeed where all of you will be staying. All these cottages around you we had specifically designed to your interests and needs based on what you put on your applications, and you're all bunking solo, so you won't have to worry about gross roommates or anything."</p><p>All eyes turned toward Hiro, who blinked, "What?"</p><p>"You'll all be given your keys soon enough, but until then," the host continued, before pointing at the main building, "we got a bit of extra business to attend to."</p><hr/><p>The cast had reconvened in the lobby of Mirai Hotel, and similar to the outside, it had seemingly fallen to the wildlife, with multiple broken windows, animal droppings scattered across the blue carpet, and tearing paint. The contestants, albeit uncomfortable with the conditions, sat in silence in the couches and chairs spread across the lobby.</p><p>Chris positioned himself in front of them, "Welcome to Jabberwock Isle, tourists," Chris introduced, the latter word likely being how he'd refer to them from that day forward, "your home for the next eight weeks. Over the course of this competition, you'll be introduced to the many stunning locations across the six islands of Jabberwock archipelago, but for the most part, you'll be spending a majority of your time here."</p><p>"We know that already," Fuyuhiko groaned out as he sat uncomfortably between Gonta and Nekomaru, both of which were accidentally crushing his frail, tiny body.</p><p>Casting the boy a piercing glare, Chris continued by saying, "Those around you will be your teammates. Your allies. Your enemies. And most importantly of all, your primary obstacles stopping you from earning the goal you all came out here for..." He rose his arms to announce the prize, "One <em>million</em> dollars!" He blinked upon realizing the confused looks on all their faces. With a groan, he muttered, "Look, it's a lot of money, okay?"</p><p>"Hey, so question dude," Leon spoke up as he leaned back in a wooden chair, "so we're staying in those cottages, right? What're the sleeping arrangements exactly? Cause there definitely wasn't enough for all of us."</p><p>Tsumugi's face flushed exactly at this, adding on with, "T-They aren't co-ed right?"</p><p>"Nah," Chris confirmed with a smile, "we've gotten sixteen cottages and twenty-six of you. <em>Most</em> of you will be getting roommates, but a handful of you were given private quarters due to some of your personal requirements." Byakuya's face twisted into a smirk at this. "Others were given them just because we forgot they were in this until the last second and got lucky." Nagito smiled blissfully.</p><p>Soon after saying this, Chris gave the cast another smile and held up two fingers, "Now, I'll need two volunteers."</p><p>Before anyone could react, both Kaede and Kiyotaka stood up and walked to the front of the group, both looking as confident as ever. The latter gave the host a salute, loudly saying, "I humbly volunteer, sir!" Kaede meanwhile cringed at his words, before shaking them away and giving the host an awkward smile.</p><p>"Cool," turning back to the cast, Chris said, "tourists...Meet your new <em>team captains!"</em> Kaede and Kiyotaka flinched at the title, though almost instantly composed themselves as Chris laughed, "Also known as the main deciders of what team you'll be placed on by the end of the day."</p><p>"What?" Akane asked, scratching her head in confusion.</p><p>"Throughout the day, we'll be giving all of you time to get to know each other and explore the island," his smile turned somewhat sinister, as he chuckled to himself, "but at the end of the day, we'll be meeting back here, where Kaede and Kiyotaka will go about choosing their teams for the competition. So maybe try to get on their good side, or at least make sure not to piss them off if you don't have to."</p><p>"So, does this mean we can leave then, mortal?" Gundham questioned, his hands ruffling in his pockets.</p><p>"Yep!" Chris confirmed, before saying, "Though there is <em>one</em> last thing I should explain."</p><hr/><p>
  <strong>The scene cut to a new, far more confined space; a simple, shiny white bathroom, by and far the cleanest location presented thus far. Chris sat on the toilet while smiling brightly, saying, "</strong>
  <em>
    <strong>This</strong>
  </em>
  <strong> is the confessional booth. The walls are completely sound-proof, and it could be locked from the inside. Contestants can feel free to come inside and express themselves however they feel."</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>He began counting off, "This can count as them talking about strategy, gossiping about their fellow players, or even just to get something off their chest." Chris let out a chuckle, "Yeah, these kids are gonna make complete jokes out of themselves."</strong>
</p><hr/><p>"Well then," Kiyotaka announced, a massive smirk on his face as he turned back to the rest of the cast, "since I'll be picking teams, I hope you all know that I plan to inspect you all thoroughly throughout the day!" With a pointed finger, he exclaimed, "So be on your best behavior, alright?!"</p><p>The others looked more annoyed than anything at what he was saying, as Kaede muttered, "Maybe take down the intensity a bit there." Turning back to the others, she added on, "Though he is right. If you guys could, maybe try and go easy today so we know what we'll be choosing for the season."</p><p>Scoffing at this, Byakuya began to walk away from the group, "I make no promises to you or anyone else about what I wish to do. If you want to bother me...<em>Don't</em>."</p><p>Promptly, a handful of other players in the form of Akane, Celeste, Gundham, Hiro, Kokichi, Miu, and Mondo left as well, seemingly content on not really making much of an impression on the two captains. Kiyotaka was taken aback at this, calling out, "H-Hey, you can't do that! Listen to me when I'm talking to you!" As expected, they all ignored him as they left, leaving him stunned.</p><p>"If they're all leaving, I'm getting outta here too," Fuyuhiko grumbled, as he and the rest of the cast left as well. Within moments, everyone had exited the lobby beside Kaede and Kiyotaka.</p><p>Noticing her fellow captain's dismay, Kaede patted him on the shoulder, saying, "It's the first day, don't take it too personally." Turning to her, she continued, "We've essentially been thrust into the middle of nowhere and told to interact with strangers. It's really not that shocking that we're all struggling with the whole 'social' aspect a bit."</p><p>"You...Do make a fair point," Kiyotaka admitted, before regaining his confidence, "guess that just means I'll have to reach out to them first! If they won't come to me, I'll show them why <em>I</em> am the superior leader!"</p><p>Her face paled a bit, "I uh...I wouldn't say that-"</p><p>"Now, I'll be off!" Breaking out into a sprint to catch up with the others, Kiyotaka screamed out, "Have a good day, Kaede!"</p><p>Blinking in shock at the boy, she grumbled to herself, muttering, "What is up with that guy?"</p><hr/><p>As the contestants filed out of the lobby with the intent of going about their days, Fuyuhiko lingered in the back, staring forward and unwilling to confront his shadow wandering behind him. <em>"Why is she here, why is she here, WHY IS SHE HERE?!"</em></p><p>Grinding his teeth, his shadow, in the form of one Peko Pekoyama, wasn't far behind him, her sword at the ready, and completely silent. "What is the plan now, <em>young master?"</em> She questioned in a thoroughly lifeless voice, whose words irked Fuyuhiko in every fiber of his being.</p><p>"Plan?" Fuyuhiko responded, before scoffing, "Fuck if I know. But more importantly," turning to her, he growled out, "Why are <em>you </em>here?"</p><p>Without missing a beat, Peko replied, "Because I must protect you." She muttered under her breath, "Once I discovered your plans to leave the family-"</p><p>"Don't...Don't phrase it like that, okay," he interrupted, an awkward glare on his face, "I just needed a break from all that crap. Besides, Natsumi can handle my duties. She's always been a natural at that shit." With a glare, he turned back to her, "Which is why you <em>shouldn't</em> have come. You don't need to follow me everywhere, I can handle myself just fine."</p><p>"But I have to-"</p><p>"I get it," Fuyuhiko groaned, rubbing his face while narrowing his eyes, "look just...While we're here...Can you do me a favor?"</p><p>With a nod of her head, Peko said, "Of course. What do you ask of me?"</p><p>"...Can you...Pretend you don't know me?" Peko flinched at her words, before he clarified, "If we're going to be here together, then...I want you to get the most out of this experience. Make some friends, learn a hobby, I don't fucking know, just..." With a groan, he muttered, "Out here, you don't have to protect me. Nobody is going to try and hurt me."</p><p>"You don't know that," she mumbled, a frown forming over her face.</p><p>"Well obviously I don't, but come on, none of these guys look like killers. Hell, I'm pretty sure some of them have never even killed a bug," Fuyuhiko turned back to her with a stern scowl, "so please, just pretend we don't know each other for a while, alright?"</p><p>Turning away, Fuyuhiko began to walk away from the lounge, a lingering look of self-doubt and harsh reality clouding his mind. All the while, Peko could only stare on, her hands shaking anxiously, before reluctantly beginning to walk away from the scene.</p><hr/><p>
  <strong>Cringing at the inside of the confessional bathroom, Fuyuhiko groaned, before saying, "God, is this really where we'll be admitting shit to the rest of the world?" With a facepalm, he reluctantly muttered, "I guess some people might be wondering about all that shit with Peko, so..."</strong>
</p><p>"<strong>Look, I've known Peko for a while, okay?" Fuyuhiko admitted reluctantly, "She's been an...An old family friend for a long time, and she's always been so damn dedicated to basing her whole life around me. Hell, she followed me out here for fuck's sake." Clicking his tongue, he added on, "Which is why I can't let anyone else know that. If they do, both of us will become targets, and the second that happens my game is getting dragged across the ground and thrown into a fucking woodchipper. I'm clearly not down for that."</strong></p><p>
  <strong>With a groan, he added on, "Besides, it's only a few weeks...She'll be fine."</strong>
</p><hr/><p>Walking up to the pool just in front of the hotel, Gonta placed Chiaki down onto a poolside chair, giving her a surprisingly gentle pat on the head and a soft smile. "Have a nice rest." She let out a squeaky snore in the process, rolling over and clutching onto the armrest as if it were a plush toy, causing Gonta to smile warmly.</p><p>"Heyo, Gonta!" Turning at the voice, he saw Hina and Sakura nearby, the former waving at him excitedly, "Wanna come with us on a jog?"</p><p>Doing a sort of double-take at the question, Gonta looked toward Sakura for some kind of confirmation, only for her to give him a smile and a nod. Smiling back in return, he happily exclaimed, "Gonta would love to!"</p><p>As the three walked away from the area, nearby Hajime couldn't help but watch on, an almost envious look on his face as he began to walk toward the cottages. Running up to him, Nagito leaned in, asking, "So Hajime, what're your plans for the rest of the day then?"</p><p>"Uh...To be honest, I don't really have any," he admitted, "I'm probably just gonna walk around, talk to some people, figure stuff out...I don't know. I don't really think I'm in a rush to do anything too important yet."</p><p>Giving his friend an odd look, he asked curiously, "Any reason for that?"</p><p>"Well, you heard Chris, we're not even in teams yet," with a frown, he mumbled, "I don't know, it just feels...Weird to try and form connections with people, when I don't even know if I'll be talking to them much once the game actually starts. Doesn't help that I can't really relate to anyone right now, either."</p><p>Humming at this response, Nagito gave him a smile, "Well, I can relate to you if it makes you feel better?" Hajime looked up at this. "Among all these people I feel so insignificant in comparison. So brimming with personality, talent, and raw emotion..." With a sigh, he followed this up by mumbling, "And then there's you. And you're not that interesting." He gave Hajime a smile. "I feel a kinship in that regard."</p><p>Somehow unaware of Hajime's deadpan, confused glare, Hajime mumbled under his breath, "Great to hear that..."</p><hr/><p>"<strong>Of everyone here, I've pretty easily spent the most time with Nagito," Hajime started...Before groaning, "which has been a mixed experience, to say the least. He doesn't seem like a bad guy or anything, but...I don't know, something about him feels super off. As if he's hiding something. And those out of nowhere, frankly kind cruel comments aren't doing him any favors either."</strong></p><p>"<strong>I'll leave it alone for now, but I'm definitely keeping an eye on him," he said, folding his arms, "hopefully he's harmless, but considering who signed up for this game, I wouldn't be surprised if he's got something up his sleeve."</strong></p><hr/><p>Sayaka stared at the door to the cottage in hesitation, her eyes drifting toward the image beside it. In a framed picture was an eight-bit portrait of her, that while sort of cute, also filled her with an odd sort of dread. With a low sigh, her hands gripped onto her bag, before opening up the door to see-</p><p>"Oh crap, Sayaka!" Before Sayaka even had a chance to react, she found herself getting bearhugged by a shorter, though <em>far</em> stronger girl, lifting her up into the air. Looking down, she saw the shocking sight of one Ibuki Mioda grinning from ear to ear. "Ibuki is so glad she got you as a roomie!" Placing her down, she let out a laugh, "Was sorta worried I'd get paired up with that quiet girl or the big huge scary one. Something tells Ibuki they...Wouldn't like her much."</p><p>While caught off guard to a degree at the girl's presence, Sayaka gave her a calm smile, "Well, at least you don't have to worry about that with me." Walking into the room, she scanned it for a moment, quickly taking notice of some things.</p><p>The room itself was gigantic, easily being big enough to host two queen-sized beds, a closet and desk for each, a table, a couch, a sizable flatscreen television, a fridge, a bookcase, and more, all while leaving plenty of room to walk around comfortably. The difference came in that half the room was covered from head to toe in punk rock band posters, instruments, and clothes thrown about lazily.</p><p>"Well, I can see you've already gotten comfortable," Sayaka muttered.</p><p>"Yep, yep," Ibuki interjected, walking past her roommate and plopping down onto her bed, "this is gonna be Ibuki's perfect little home away from home!" With a laugh, she leaned up, only to blink as Sayaka awkwardly walked around the room, unsure what to do. "You good?"</p><p>"Huh?" Turning to her roommate, she gave her a bashful smile, "Yeah, I'm fine, just...You know, figuring out where to start is all."</p><p>"Ah...Not used to a room this small, am I right?" Clicking her tongue, she gave her a finger gun, "Big pop star, not used to the peasant life-" However, she bit her tongue upon seeing a cold frown come over her. "...Uh, sorry. I didn't mean to-"</p><p>"It's fine," Sayaka harshly cut through her words, bringing Ibuki to silence for the first time in the game, "I just...I wanna leave that life behind for this game. In the real world, I can be that big, shining example of what every girl in high school wants to be. But out here, I just wanna be Sayaka."</p><p>Ibuki stared at her for a few moments, humming...Before snapping her fingers and giving her a smile, "Ibuki gets ya! Will definitely keep that in mind next time." Sayaka gave the girl a soft look at this, which Ibuki promptly responded to with a smile. And with that, the two girls got back to unpacking their things.</p><hr/><p>"<strong>Even though Ibuki seems a </strong><em><strong>tad</strong></em><strong> too extreme for me...I won't lie, I trust her," Sayaka admitted while rubbing her arm, "and...I have a few trust issues in general, so knowing I at least have someone on the team who seems genuine...It's nice."</strong></p><p>
  <strong>With a groan, she then muttered, "But she's the exception, not the rule. Right now I don't really have the best vibe on anyone else, besides maybe Kaede." Tapping her chin, she muttered, "You know...The three of us working together would actually be pretty nice. We could look out for each other, keep up to date on everyone else's dynamics without having to run around so much..."</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Smiling slightly, she happily said, "I should tell her about that later..."</strong>
</p><hr/><p>Walking down the bridge linking all the cottages, an intern with messy brunette hair was looking them over, his brows raised as he stopped at each cottage, and looked down at his clipboard. "Gundham and Gonta...Check." He moved along. "Tsumugi and Peko...Ready." He moved along. "Kyoko and Hina...All good." And he moved along. "Ibuki and-"</p><p>The door to the cottage he was in front of suddenly was thrust open, smacking the poor boy in the face and sending him falling onto his butt. "Ow..."</p><p>"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry! I didn't know somebody was standing there." Wait...That voice. "Here, let me help you up."</p><p>Before he could even react, he found himself pulled up off his feet, and staring into the eyes of, "...Sayaka?"</p><p>"Wait...Makoto," Sayaka muttered before her eyes widened and she took a step back, covering her mouth in shock, as the two simply stared into each other's eyes.</p><p>"Yo, Sayaka, I'm gonna head into the forest, you wanna come!" A second voice said from inside the cottage before she walked out to reveal Ibuki...Who only watched as the two stared at each other awkwardly. "Uh...Is everything alright here?"</p><p>"You...Remember me?" Makoto asked, his voice faint yet in awe.</p><p>"Well...Of course," Sayaka muttered, twirling her hair in her finger as she began to blush faintly, "how could I forget?" The two stood awkwardly for a moment, as she took a step forward, "So...I'm guessing you're-"</p><p>"Working here, yeah," he finished, a smile forming on his face, "I got really lucky they'd want a guy like me out here...Maybe it was my affiliation with Hope's Peak, though even then I didn't think the lucky student would be the type of person you'd want working under you."</p><p>"Oh yeah, how's that school been?" Sayaka asked inquisitively.</p><p>"Good, it's...Yeah, good," he said, a sort of blush forming on his face as well.</p><p>Meanwhile, behind them, Ibuki stared on, looking between the two as the realization hit her, "...Wait...You two know each other?!"</p><p>"Huh?" Sayaka cringed at the voice, before reluctantly muttering, "Yeah...We uh, went to school together for a long time, until last year at least."</p><p>"And <em>you</em>," Ibuki turned to Makoto with an inspired look, "<em>you're</em> from <em>Hope's Peak Academy?!"</em></p><p>"...uh, yeah...Everyone on staff is from there, though on that note," he picked up his clipboard off the ground, "I...Do have to get back to work. But...It was nice seeing you again, Sayaka."</p><p>"Yeah, you too...If you wouldn't mind, could we maybe talk a little later too?" Sayaka asked, "It'd...Be nice having a familiar face around."</p><p>"Sure!" He may be too hastily said, an awkward grin on his face...Before he quickly ran off, "Anyways, gotta go now, bye!" As he ran away though, he waved hastily at the two girls, which Sayaka was more than happy to return, her blush still not having gone away.</p><p>"Sooooooooo," Ibuki leaned into Sayaka's vision, a sort of knowing smirk on her face, "are you and him...Well, <em>you know</em>-"</p><p>"W-What, n-no!" Sayaka quickly stated, putting up her hands in defense. "W-We didn't even really <em>talk</em> at school! We just recognize each other, that's all!"</p><p>"Uh-huuuuuuuuh," Ibuki nodded along, before tapping her friend on the nose and smiling, "well, Ibuki knows to respect your privacy regardless! Still, gotta admit," she gave her friend another smile, "he <em>is</em> a little cute."</p><p>"...Well, I mean-"</p><p>"Anyways, Ibuki will be going off into the forest now!" Without a second of hesitation, she ran the opposite way of Makoto, "Have a good day, Sayaka-chan!"</p><p>"...Yeah...Seeya," Sayaka muttered, looking around her surroundings another moment, before tapping her cheeks...Which were burning red, which somehow only caused her to blush harder.</p><hr/><p>Hanging up a poster of <em>The Clash</em>, a famous English punk band, Leon grinned brightly, jumping down from the couch he had been using as a makeshift stool. Glancing over at his roommate, he said, "Dude, check it! This place just got like, ten times cooler!"</p><p>Glancing up from what he was tinkering with, Kazuichi gave the poster a look, "Uh...Neat, I guess?" He then got back to working on the object in his hands; the top half of a <em>motorcycle</em>.</p><p>"Dude, you are so freaking lucky that boat offered to take everyone's extra luggage. No <em>way</em> you could have brought that on your own with those scrawny arms." Laughing at his own joke, Leon threw himself onto the couch. "Why'd you bring a rocking bike like that with you anyways?"</p><p>"Well," Kazuichi started, scratching behind his ear awkwardly, "back home, I was sorta working on this thing for a while. But...I can't really <em>ride</em> it back home, even if I were to finish it. Motion sickness laws and such. So, I sorta wanna finish it while I'm out here and maybe give it a ride before the show is over."</p><p>Humming at this, Leon shrugged on the couch, "I can get that." With a smirk, he gave him a wink, "Maybe you could give that Sonia chick a ride on it too, in more ways than one if you catch my drift."</p><p>Blushing brightly at his words, Kazuichi nonetheless found himself showing a toothy grin, "Yeah, that'd...That'd be awesome," however, his face soon fell, and with a snort, he added on, "but I won't lie, I'm not great with girls. Heck, she barely even <em>noticed</em> me back at the beach, especially when compared to that freak who caught her eye."</p><p>"Dude, you're overthinking it," Leon muttered, adjusting himself to rest on a couch pillow, as his eyes began to drift, "just...You know...Wing it, man. See if you can...Can learn some stuff. Better to try than give up."</p><p>Turning his eyes away from the bike, Kazuichi's eyes narrowed for a moment...Before he let out a low sigh, "Yeah, you're right..." He turned toward his roommate, "Thanks, man-" He flinched upon seeing Leon having passed out on the couch, snoring away as he shuffled in place. "...Of course."</p><hr/><p>"<strong>Honestly, I sorta got off lucky if you really think about it," Kazuichi mumbled as he scratched behind his ear, "some of the guys here are </strong><em><strong>really</strong></em><strong> freaky, or Hell, even downright scary! At least with Leon you know what you're getting, and I feel I can kinda relate to him in a way." He smiled to himself, "Hell, we even both got this sorta punk-vibe going! Not to mention, he gave me some good advice..."</strong></p><p>
  <strong>He smashed a fist into his palm, "The second everything's unpacked, I'm gonna go and find miss Sonia, and prove myself to her! And from there," he began to blush brightly, squealing, "it's only a matter of time before she falls for </strong>
  <em>
    <strong>me</strong>
  </em>
  <strong> too!"</strong>
</p><hr/><p>Walking up the stairs from the lobby, Hiro found himself at the top and staring down the new room...Only to find himself stunned in shock the very next moment, his eyes had gone wide as his jaw dropped. "Holy mother of <em>Gaea!"</em></p><p>Before him was the hotel restaurant, and it was...Surprisingly quite nice! In comparison to the disgusting, overgrown downstairs, the upstairs looked as if it had never even been touched, with recently cleaned wooden floors and tables. Large windows guarded an outside balcony, while the inside was nicely styled after a sort of inside-forest, with plenty of fake trees and bushes, even including a little mini-waterfall, with the whole thing being rounded off with a kitchen full of tools and food on the far left side.</p><p>Salivating at the mouth, Hiro reached up and swatted off a long line of drool, as he whispered, "I've never been inside something this...<em>Clean!"</em></p><p>"Somehow that isn't very shocking," a second voice sounded off behind him before Celeste walked straight past him and into the restaurant. A moment later, Tsumugi followed behind a pleasant smile on her face. Grumbling under his breath and folding his arms, Hiro reluctantly followed behind them as well.</p><p>Walking up to the counter of the kitchen, Celeste rang a small metal bell at the window, before saying, "Hello, is this establishment open yet?"</p><p>Less than a second later, a massive, burly black man wearing a chef's apron and hat walked into view, a seemingly permanent scowl staring through the pale girl with deep, centralized disdain; Chef Hatchet, making his official debut in the season. "Can I <em>help</em> you?" He seemed to practically grind his teeth together while saying that.</p><p>"Oui," Celeste gave the large man a false smile, "I was in 'la mood for some milk tea. Would you mind whipping me up a cup?"</p><p>The brute was silent for a few moments, before scoffing, and calling out to the back of the room, "Yo, <em>chubby kid,</em> one of the players is bothering me. Fix her up whatever the heck she asked for."</p><p>"<em>Coooooooooooooooooooooooming~"</em></p><p>As the chef walked away, in that same moment, a far smaller, and at that, far uglier sort of imp took his place. Showing off a left-leaning pompadour, and button eyes only made worse by a rather bulbous belly and nose, he was a bizarre, and frankly, not very appealing sight to behold, as the three couldn't help but cringe at his mere presence.</p><p>Pulling out a comb from seemingly nowhere, he began to tear through his pompadour with it, a cocky smirk present on his face as he looked the three over. "So, you're the new faces competing in this shindig, ay? Well, I must say," his eyes began to wander, before landing upon the "assets" of one Tsumugi Shirogane, as a drop of blood slowly began to run from his nose, "I am <em>not</em> disappointed with what I am seeing~"</p><p>The girl's face twisted a bit at this, reflexively folding her arms over her chest as she gave the boy a glare. Meanwhile, beside her, Hiro seemed far more confused by another thing altogether. "Uh, dude..." Crouching down a bit, he asked, "Where'd like...Your <em>entire</em> lower half go?" He pointed forward, specifically taking notice of the boy's height; or more accurately his lack of it. In response, Tsumugi pointed her glare at Hiro, as he raised a brow. "What? It's a legitimate question!"</p><p>"Ah, not into short ones, eh?" The little creep asked, rubbing a hand over his chin as his smirk. "I'll keep that in mind." Turning his sight back toward Celeste, he winked before asking, "So, what'd you want again?"</p><p>"Milk tea," she simply replied, giggling into her hand before adding on, "though do be careful. I am <em>quite</em> specific about what <em>kind</em> of milk tea I enjoy."</p><p>"Gotcha, baby doll," he simply responded, before bowing before her from behind the counter, "and you don't gotta worry about a thing. After all, the <em>Ultimate Cook</em> doesn't get bested so easily by mere tea" And with that, he got to work in the kitchen, as Celeste humbly waited for her desired drink.</p><p>However, behind her, Hiro simply looked on with a befuddled look. "Ultimate cook?" Scratching the top of his head, he muttered, "Man, does that guy have a screw loose or something...?"</p><p>"Ultimate...Oh! I knew I recognized him!" Tsumugi suddenly declared, "He's <em>Teruteru Hanamura</em>, the official ultimate cook of Hope's Peak Academy!"</p><p>Hiro looked...Less than impressed with this explanation. "...What?"</p><p>Tsumugi let out a loud, and exaggerated, gasp, "Huh?! Do...Do you <em>not</em> know what Hope's Peak is?"</p><p>"I mean...You said it's an academy, right?" He started, "So is it like, some huge preppy school or something for rich people?"</p><p>"I...I can't believe this!" Tsumugi gave him a straightlaced look, "Hope's Peak is Japan's <em>#1</em> school! Every year, they only accept the very <em>best</em> students; those who are the undeniable champions of their own individual talents! People who graduate from there are practically <em>guaranteed</em> success and fortune for the rest of their lives!"</p><p>And just like that, in an instance, Hiro's face lit up in anticipation, "F-For real?! F-Fortune means money, right?!" With a laugh, he clapped his hands together in anticipation, "Man, that's insane! Getting in there means I wouldn't have to do anything for the rest of my life!"</p><p>And just like that, any interest in the conversation drained from Tsumugi like a leech, "...I mean...In order to get in you have to be in high school, and be the best in talent, and...No offense and all, but you-"</p><p>"I have that covered!" He declared, before in an instant, pulling out...A crystal ball. "After all, I'm a <em>clairvoyant</em>, baby!" Rubbing a hand over it, he proudly stated, "This baby cost me <em>one hundred million yen</em>, so no way is anything gonna stop me from being the best on the planet!<em>"</em> He jumped up and down excitedly, "Come on, ask me a question! I guarantee you I'll have the answer thirty percent of the time, all the time!"</p><p>As Tsumugi gave the man a disappointed, uninterested frown, Teruteru popped up to the counter once more, before pushing out the tea for Celeste to inspect. "Here you are, madam; be sure to sip and tell me of its perfection."</p><p>With a demeaning smile, Celeste picked up the cup, took a sip...And twitched. "...Is this some kind of <em>joke</em>?" A fierce glare formed across her face, before she spat out with an unexpected, intense sort of aggression, <em>"THIS</em> is what you call <em>milk tea</em> where you come from, <em>midget?!"</em></p><p>Taken aback at her crudeness, he grits his teeth, spitting back, "I <em>beg</em> your pardon! That tea is flawless, I say, <em>flawless!</em> 'Ya clearly need 'ta get your taste buds checked, girly, cause if you be comin' in here insultin' <em>my </em>cooking, you better have your <em>facts straight!"</em></p><p>"OH, you want an insult, I'll give you it!"</p><p>As the two began their verbal war, Hiro and Tsumugi simply looked on, and in one smart instance of reading the room, left the upstairs restaurant without any further words.</p><hr/><p>"<strong>Man, that Hope's Peak place sounds great!" Hiro declared, before letting out a laugh, "If I got in there, I could use it to pay back all my investors! It'd be perfect!" As he said this though, he then began to hum out, "Though, bit weird somebody from </strong><em><strong>that</strong></em><strong> school is on an island in the middle of nowhere, right? Especially working for a hazbin like Chris McLean...I wonder..."</strong></p><p>
  <strong>He let out a gasp. "What if this whole series is just a massive, brilliant ploy by the school to inspect for new talent?!" Upon saying this though...He shrugged, "Eh, nah. That's </strong>
  <em>
    <strong>way</strong>
  </em>
  <strong> too unbelievable, man." With a smirk, he then pulled out his crystal ball, "Anyways, like I was gonna say before, Tsumugi's future is that apparently she'll work for this big TV network, right, and is in all actuality a-"</strong>
</p><hr/><p>Clicking his tongue, Mondo tilted his head ever so slightly as he stared into a small little bathhouse, with a door on both sides leading to, "Huh...This dump's got a sauna?" He walked forward and tapped on one of the doors, which appeared to be locked, the room currently in-use.</p><p>Letting out a yawn and taking a second to stretch, Akane grunted out, "Little suspicious if you ask me. Considering the kind of stuff this sort of show makes its money off of, I wouldn't be surprised if they got some steam-proof cameras in there or something."</p><p>"Eh, I doubt it," Mondo mumbled, "if they tried something like that, we could fuckin' sue, right? Breach of human rights and all that kind of shit." Akane simply shrugged, barely paying attention to the conversation beyond surface-level evaluations.</p><p>"All I know is a nice steam bath can do wonders for your body!" A third voice, this one coming from the large Nekomaru, declared, a large smile on his face. "In fact, I'll make it routine to use this place <em>every day</em> after training! By the end of the Summer, my body will be so refined, it could make <em>God </em>blush!"</p><p>Oddly enough, it seemed to be these words that caught Akane's attention, as she couldn't help but smirk, "Training, eh? What kind are we talkin' here?"</p><p>"Ah, interested in my routine, huh?" Nekomaru asked, before letting out a triumphant cackle, "Come by my room in the morning! I'll show you the sort of fitness regime that can lead to a body like <em>THIS!"</em> With that, he suddenly flexed his massive muscles, letting out a sort of roar while doing so.</p><p>"...Not sure I'm into the muscles, but I sure as Hell am into getting even stronger!" Punching her palm, Akana barked back, "Then it's decided, big guy!" The two exchanged a fierce look, as she then walked out of the room, whistling to herself while stretching out her arm.</p><p>"Man, she sure is a spitfire, huh?" Nekomaru said to nobody in particular, seemingly unaware of the fact Mondo was still in the room.</p><p>"She's certainly way too damn loud, that's for sure," he grumbled in response, waiting patiently on the bench inside the room. As soon as the large boy turned to him though, Mondo narrowed his vision, "and before you ask me, I ain't interested. Not into that public workout crap."</p><p>"Understood! Though you should heavily reconsider," Nekomaru flexed his arms once more, "I'm one of the best coaches on the planet after all! I took my school's worst team and turned them into regional <em>champions!"</em></p><p>"Uh-huh," Mondo muttered, rolling his eyes all the while, before noticing as a third figure entered the room, this one wearing a tight military uniform. Growling through his teeth, he growled, "and what do you want, hall monitor?"</p><p>"My name is <em>Taka</em>, Mondo," Kiyotaka stated simply in response, folding his arms as he approached the two, "and to answer, I am here to 'reach out' to my fellow players, as to assist in making my decisions for who I want on my team! So," he promptly sat down in a chair, "let us begin having a conversation post-haste!"</p><p>The two exchanged a confused look, as Mondo shook his head and stood up from where he had been sitting, "Listen, you can go bother everyone else if you want to, but I ain't gonna waste my time talking to someone with a stick up there ass."</p><p>As the punk walked out of the room, Kiyotaka watched on with a scowl, barking out, "That is <em>not</em> the proper way to speak to your equal, Mondo!" The boy didn't seem to listen though, disappearing from sight, as the moral compass huffed and tilted up his head. "So little respect for others. It's truly a shame." As he said this though, Nekomaru simply looked on, scratching the back of his head awkwardly at the exchange between the two.</p><hr/><p>
  <strong>Kiyotaka held himself straight, stating simply, "Mondo has no idea how to properly treat his peers! He's exactly like the bad eggs at my old school; thinking they're too good to talk to us law-abiding students, skipping classes, acting all high and mighty when they're really nothing but pathetic rulebreakers!" Huffing, he looked off, "I know for a </strong>
  <em>
    <strong>fact</strong>
  </em>
  <strong> I won't allow him onto </strong>
  <em>
    <strong>my</strong>
  </em>
  <strong> team, that's for certain! He'd be nothing but a terrible influence on those who're actually putting in the effort to be their very best!"</strong>
</p><p>"<strong>Though, I must admit...I'm not quite sure yet who I </strong><em><strong>will</strong></em><strong> be picking," he let out a low sigh, "I've been having some difficulties relating to my fellow players. I either can't seem to catch them while they're free, or they don't want to talk to me. It's making this whole ordeal very needlessly stressful if you ask me! No matter though; whether they like it or not, I </strong><em><strong>will</strong></em><strong> bond with them, and when the time is right, I'll create myself the perfect unstoppable team!"</strong></p><p>
  <strong>Pounding his chest with one of his fists, he screamed out, "I will not allow myself to </strong>
  <em>
    <strong>fail!"</strong>
  </em>
</p><hr/><p>"Well...If this place isn't a little...<em>Quaint</em>," Byakuya hissed out, pushing up his glasses as he stared down the building before him.</p><p>The 'place' in question was a wooden cabin of relatively decent size, lifted up off the ground slightly by a handful of wooden legs. However, what was once a secure, strong building, had slowly eroded with time into a disaster waiting to happen, with several broken windows, decaying wood, and hundreds of spider nests. The place had fairly obviously been abandoned, even with the Total Drama crew having set up shop here.</p><p>Kokichi couldn't help but stifle a cruel smirk. "Looks like the kind of place a druggie would hang out." Upon getting no response from Byakuya, the shorter pale hummed loudly. "What? Too good to talk to me, four-eyes?"</p><p>"Most certainly," Byakuya replied simply. As soon as he said this though, he watched as a third figure, in the form of Kyoko, began to walk toward the building, "do you have a death wish or something? Clearly, nothing of worth would be in that building."</p><p>"Perhaps. But then again, I'd never know if I didn't bother checking," Kyoko said, swinging the door open and stomping inside, the loud clunks of her boots causing the wood to creak loudly.</p><p>Byakuya raised a brow at the girl, and then after a moment, began to walk toward the building as well. Kokichi simply smirked knowingly. "Ooooh, the emo get your attention, huh?"</p><p>"More that if there happens to be an advantage in there, I won't be letting <em>her</em> get it." He stated, walking inside the building a moment later. Kokichi smirked to himself, and with a hum, raced inside after the two.</p><hr/><p>
  <strong>Kokichi couldn't help but laugh to himself inside, as he leaned back in the chair with a relaxed grin. "I don't really have much of a 'strategy' yet; I just wanna see how all these idiots react to my presence. Get an idea of what I'm working with, ramp it up more and more the longer I'm around them, maybe see later if I hit enough nerves to make one of these losers quit early; you know, priorities."</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>With a cruel chuckle, his glare darkened, and his grin grew wide, "But don't think that means I'll just be a bystander forever. The second I have the chance, I'm gonna </strong>
  <em>
    <strong>destroy</strong>
  </em>
  <strong> these peasants!" His look then reverted back to his casual, almost </strong>
  <em>
    <strong>childish</strong>
  </em>
  <strong> expression, "Before I do that, though, I'm gonna have a bit more fun; make 'em suffer before I shatter their dreams. And when you do </strong>
  <em>
    <strong>that</strong>
  </em>
  <strong> to someone...They won't ever, </strong>
  <em>
    <strong>ever</strong>
  </em>
  <strong> forget you for the rest of their life." He smiled knowingly. "So...Let the games begin."</strong>
</p><hr/><p>A red-haired, female intern couldn't help but groan as she picked up the large, practically prehistoric vintage movie camera, the whole thing feeling as if it was on the verge of falling apart. "What's the point of getting one of the world's best photographers if you give them some of the world's <em>worst</em> equipment?" She muttered, a scowl forming on her face as she hefted the thing up and into her bag, which she then zipped up.</p><p>Hoisting its strap over her shoulder, she was about to walk away, only to stop upon turning toward the pool, where she saw Chiaki laying down on the poolside chair still. "Does she just <em>not</em> have a sleep schedule back home?"</p><p>"Certainly seems that way." The intern jumped at the voice, turning to see Tsumugi staring over her shoulder, before giving her a smile. "Hi. You're part of the staff, right?"</p><p>"Um...Yeah...I'm sorry, do you need anything?" The intern questioned.</p><p>"Oh, I'm just informing you that a chef on your staff was acting a little...Well, he's currently stuck in this sorta heated duel upstairs over his cooking?" Tsumugi gave her an awkward smile. "Maybe somebody should check that out?"</p><p>The intern gave her a confused look, though it soon twisted into a glare, grumbling under her breath, "Goddammit, Teruteru..." She nodded her head, "I'll go handle that." Turning back to her, she said, "If you have any further issues, it's Mahiru by the way," she gave her a pleasant smile, "I'm basically the only one around her who handles that sort of thing, so I'll generally be your best bet."</p><p>"I'll be sure to keep that in mind," Tsumugi nodded along, as she watched Mahiru storm toward the hotel, her face heating up in frustration.</p><p>As she walked away, she hadn't seemed to notice, her bag slightly zipped open, as a sort of smirk formed on Tsumugi's face. Holding out her hand, she revealed a handful of clip-on microphones, as she let out a low giggle. "I can certainly see the benefit of talking to you already, Mahiru..." With that, she walked away herself, seemingly not noticing a certain boy walking Chiaki away with her arm around his head.</p><hr/><p>"<strong>Who am I?" Tsumugi asked herself, before pulling on a smile. "Why I'm just your everyday girl, that's all! I'm really not all that interesting. Besides my anime and manga back home and some cosplay </strong><em><strong>on the side</strong></em><strong>, I really don't have much going for me. Generally, I probably wouldn't go too far in something like this..." She couldn't help but smirk, as she pulled out the microphones once more, "Though...Having some of </strong><em><strong>these</strong></em><strong> will certainly make getting information a </strong><em><strong>lot</strong></em><strong> easier."</strong></p><p>"<strong>I know where I stand in this game well enough already. I </strong><em><strong>could</strong></em><strong> simply stay under the radar for a while and be safe enough...But in the end, unless I prove my worth in some way I'll be a sitting duck until they have nobody to vote. So," Tsumugi smirked cruelly, "why not prepare my hand a little early, if not to ensure that once it's played, that </strong><em><strong>nobody</strong></em><strong> here will be able to stop me from claiming my well-deserved victory..."</strong></p><hr/><p>Kaede's eyes narrowed as she found herself walking onto a small, fenced-off farm, a hastily painted sign reading, "McLean Corral" sloppily slapped onto the entrance gate.</p><p>"<em>God</em>, I'm so hungry! Hey you, turn into a hamburger already!"</p><p>Raising a brow in slight alarm at the comment, Kaede continued to walk down the path, before finding herself staring down a tall, tan girl with an athletic build; Akane, who was currently staring down a particularly plump cow eating some grass in the field. A low growl erupted from Akane's stomach, as she let out a groan and smashed her fist against the fence. "Stupid cow, stupid stomach..."</p><p>Kaede's face scrunched up for a moment in mild confusion, though she quickly shook it off and walked up to her. "Uh...Hello?"</p><p>"Huh?" Akane mumbled, turning to her, only to smile a little at the girl's presence. "Oh, you're..." Her mind drew a blank. "...The girl picking teams, yeah! Miss...What's her face!" Kaede gave her a look, as the taller girl groaned. "Yeah, sorry. I'm sorta useless with names." She flashed a grin. "Don't worry, I'll figure out a way to remember you though!"</p><p>"Well...That's good at least," Kaede forced a smile once more, before holding out a hand, "it's Kaede, by the way."</p><p>Without a hint of trying to hold back her strength, Akane threw her hand forward, and in one distinct movement, ended up practically throwing Kaede's entire weight around with her effortless handshake. "Akane Owari! Nice to meet 'ya!"</p><p>"W-We met...O-On the-e be-each earl...Lier…" Kaede groaned out, taking a few steps back from the almighty ironwoman, her skin had paled and her eyes wandering, if only slightly.</p><p>"Hehe, yeah, but it's not like we <em>talked</em>," Akane let out a laugh, as she turned back to the cow, "so, how's that whole 'team picking' thing working out for you?"</p><p>Rubbing a hand over the temple of her head, Kaede seemed to finally regain some motor function, as she let out a low sound, "If I'm being honest...Not great. I haven't really been able to find too many people, and the few I have found don't really want to talk to <em>me</em>."</p><p>"Ouch. That's rough," Akane shrugged, "though hey, I don't think you're annoying enough to throw yet, so you could consider me something of a 'pick' if you want, I guess."</p><p>Kaede smiled a little at this, nodding her head and saying, "Thanks, I appreciate that. Out of curiosity, has anyone else stood out to you?"</p><p>"Besides that little shit who taunted me back at the beach?" She growled through her teeth, before taking a moment to hum, "Well, the big guy who is always screaming seems cool. We're gonna start working out together."</p><p>"Hey, that's great!" Kaede's face brightened considerably, "That means if I could grab you <em>and</em> Nekomaru, there will already be a solid dynamic there to work with! That's gotta be more than what Kiyotaka has."</p><p>"Yeah, yeah, dynamics, all that crap is cool," Akane muttered, her attention drifting as she returned to staring down the cow, "Hey, when do you think the team picking is actually gonna happen? I'm freaking starving; could really use something to eat."</p><p>"Well, if you want, the restaurant is open," a third voice said. Walking up to the pair was the tall and fairly dirty Hiro, who was rubbing his head as he grumbled, "but good luck <em>getting</em> anything. Last I checked Celeste was working that chef dude to the freakin' <em>bone</em> trying to perfect some kinda tea or something." Hiro felt a shiver run down his spine. "That girl gives me the <em>creeps</em>, man.</p><p>"Really?" Kaede wondered aloud, tapping her chin in interest as Akane jumped up.</p><p>"So...Wait! There's a <em>restaurant</em> on this island?" Akane questioned with an excitable, though <em>terrifying</em> look.</p><p>"Uh...Yeah, back at the hotel. But again-" Before Hiro could finish, the athlete sped past him, nearly knocking him over with her sheer force of speed, as he let out a yelp. "Holy- watch where you're going!" She didn't bother paying attention to him as she ran off the farm. "Jeez..."</p><p>"So...Hiro, right?" Kaede questioned as she walked up to him, "Anybody else you learn about?"</p><p>"Huh?" He looked down at her, before humming, "...Nah. Guess I talked to Tsumugi for a couple of seconds. She's fine, not really my type though."</p><p>"Okay, I wasn't really asking about that-"</p><p>"Honestly, I've just been walking around looking for something to <em>do</em>," Hiro groaned as he folded his arms, "this place is <em>super</em> boring. Nobody even wants to <em>talk</em> to me unless I basically force myself into the conversation."</p><p>"<em>Maybe the smell and dirty clothing have something to do with it..."</em> Kaede couldn't help but think with narrowed eyes. <em>"He...Doesn't really seem all that reliable, to be honest."</em></p><p>"Anyway, want me to read your fortune! All it'd cost is <em>ten-thousand dollars!"</em></p><p>Kaede's face paled. <em>"...Yeah, definitely not very reliable...Or good at sealing the deal."</em></p><hr/><p>Kiyotaka remained at the ready as he slowly stomped inside a small, flashy-looking building, his gaze hardened, his posture straight, and his defenses at the ready for <em>anything </em>to happen...Only to be met instead with a fairly charming little mini-mart. The floors were a shiny sort of marble, and the selection of products was both vast and interesting in its own little way, though in many ways sort of just held the expected supplies for such an island, including food, swimwear, even a handful of movies.</p><p>A sort of satisfied grin ran across his face, the hall monitor taking a moment to fold his arms and scan the room. "Extraordinary! It appears the host has made sure to accommodate our every need! I must be sure to make note of this in my journal upon my return to the hotel; that'll surely get me into the good graces of my peers!"</p><p>"Here you go. Take it easy, alright?"</p><p>Looking up at the sound, Kiyotaka found himself wandering the halls of the little dinky store, before arriving at the back of it, where he saw sitting on a bench two other contestants; one was Hajime, standing up and holding out a water bottle, while the other was...Chiaki, he believed, who was sitting on the bench, barely awake, as she miraculously was able to get a grip on the drink.</p><p>"Ah...Thank you again...Uh."</p><p>"Hajime," he finished, a sort of smile forming, "and no problem." However, his stare hardened, if only slightly. "But you really need to look after yourself. I'm not sure what it's like where you came from, but generally, it isn't very normal to collapse out of nowhere."</p><p>"I didn't collapse. I was just...Tired." Chiaki let out a yawn, before taking a short swig of the water bottle.</p><p>"Sorta sounds one and the same to me," Hajime muttered, before shaking his head, "I'm just saying watch out is all. If that happens during something important you could probably get in trouble." However, Chiaki seemed to have stopped paying all that much attention, not due to malice, but more due to simply being unaware of her surroundings. All this elicited from Hajime was a groan.</p><p>"Hajime!" The boy jumped a bit at his name, twisting to see Kiyotaka stomping up to him, before asking <em>very</em> loudly, "By chance did you bring Chiaki here?"</p><p>"What?" He blinked, only to flinch a bit at the militaristic boy's unchanging perpetual glare. With a sigh, he mumbled, "Well, yeah. She got up to try and walk around and then collapsed again. I felt maybe getting her something to drink would help if she was dehydrated." Glancing over to her, he mumbled, "Though, I think she's just like this naturally." Chiaki let out another yawn, as he shook his head.</p><p>"I see..." Kiyotake began to grin, slapping Hajime heartily on the back, "Excellent work then! You looked after your fellow man without seeking any benefit of your own; truly honorable!" In spite of this, his hand gripped down onto his shoulder. "Though you <em>do</em> plan to pay for that water bottle, right?"</p><p>"What? Yeah, of course...Well, if somebody <em>works</em> here." He pointed over to the counter nearby. Sure enough, nobody was at the station. "Nobody's working the register. And the only person I saw come in here earlier that looked like the staff was this nurse girl," out of nowhere, a prominent blush ran onto his face, "a-and this didn't...<em>Really</em> look like <em>her</em> sort of thing..."</p><p>Choosing to ignore his look, Kiyotaka simply hummed to himself, before nodding, "Very well. Makes more than enough sense to me." He looked down at Chiaki, who sure enough had dozed off once more. His fiery eyes stared through her, as he growled out, "Look at her...She may not even be ready once it's time to pick the teams!"</p><p>Hajime couldn't help but glare a bit at this. "Look, I get you have...<em>Some</em> kind of power, but don't be a jerk, alright? Everybody here has potential; if they didn't I doubt they would have even made it past casting." Kiyotaka couldn't help but give the brunette a glare at this, causing the average boy to sigh reluctantly. "Just...Don't forget that while you're picking. Who knows; some people may surprise you."</p><p>For a brief moment, Kiyotaka couldn't help but feel taken aback, his mind wandering as he turned away. After a second, he couldn't help but chuckle, turning to Hajime confidently. "I see...I'll certainly keep that in mind, Hajime!"</p><hr/><p>"<strong>Hajime's words, while seemingly useless on the surface, </strong><em><strong>have</strong></em><strong> given me this strange, newfound outlook on how to approach this dilemma!" Slapping a fist into his palm, Kiyotaka declared, "While most of my peers may not be as strong as me, or as well-mannered as me, or as academically skilled as me, they all excel in one place or another! Beyond all matters, a team with </strong><em><strong>range</strong></em><strong> is required if I am to devastate this game in the coming future!"</strong></p><p>
  <strong>Kiyotaka then hummed outwardly, "With that said, Hajime may be a good choice for a teammate. He certainly seems loyal, though I do worry about the possibility of him talking back to me at an inopportune time...No matter, I shall simply have to iron it out of him! And to gain his trust...Perhaps taking in mind that girl as an option should be in order."</strong>
</p><hr/><p>Wandering the island alone, Peko slowly walked up to a truly bizarre sight, her eyes narrowing in mild confusion and yet complete disinterest. Standing on the far right side of the island, was a massive, shining airport...That had completely fallen to ruin. Its glass was shattered, the walls were rusting, and the planes looked several decades out-of-date, to a point where it's likely on the most uncaring of individuals would even bother going near them. And yet, years later and after so much decay, the whole place still had this odd, "new" spark of life to it. It was quite strange to behold.</p><p>Staring on, Peko was about ready to walk away...Only to stop. A memory came to her mind...</p><p>"<em>If we're going to be here together, then...I want you to get the most out of this experience. Make some friends, learn a hobby, I don't fucking know, just...Out here, you don't have to protect me. Nobody is going to try and hurt me."</em></p><p>Grinding her teeth, Peko's eyes narrowed, "...As you wish, young master."</p><hr/><p>"<strong>I must admit I had a different goal than most when I arrived here," Peko clarified, tapping her chin and saying, "I had simply planned to work with my young master. Help him fulfill his goals quickly so we may return to the Kuzuryu estate swiftly, but it seems he is truly dedicated to seeing this game to the end...And...</strong><em><strong>Without</strong></em><strong> me."</strong></p><p>
  <strong>A cold frown swam over her expression, as she looked down, "...He told me...To pretend we don't know each other. So...I must attempt to go about my life on this island in a way I was not expecting. I am not completely confident that this will all go well for me, but I must try. For his sake."</strong>
</p><hr/><p>As Byakuya looked over the inside of the lodge, he hummed in mild bemusement. "I won't lie, there is a certain sort of...<em>Charm</em> to this building after all." As he smirked knowingly, the camera panned across the room to reveal...A total <em>disaster.</em> The entire place was a mess; broken furniture, some shattered paintings, somehow even <em>more</em> spiderwebs, and even some decaying feasted on food scattered across the ground, which had no doubt been feeding the ample rat population if he had to guess.</p><p>Meanwhile, Kokichi and Kyoko were looking over the room themselves, as Byakuya let out a low laugh, "Seems you wasted your time. Nothing is in here except for the depressing reality of failure," he smirked at her cruelly, "a feeling you no doubt must be used to."</p><p>However, Kyoko wasn't bothering to listen to Byakuya's words, instead pressing her hand against the wall and dragging it across, seemingly looking for something. This caused the heir to narrow his eyes and was about to approach her- only for him, and the others as well, to come to a complete stop, as they heard a sound from the other room. Footsteps. Loud ones. "...By chance, midget, did you happen to notice a fourth person enter the building at any point?"</p><p>"Oh yeah, I totally did, walked right on past us without any of us noticing," Kokichi said, a knowing smirk on his face, and yet his voice sounded completely genuine. All this did was make Byakuya's face scrunch up in a sort of disgust. However, both of them soon turned their attention to the nearby door, the footsteps getting louder and louder until it swung open...</p><p>Only to reveal a well-dressed woman wearing a maid outfit. The two stared at her for a moment...Before she bowed to them, saying with a soothing, though lifeless voice, "I am Kirumi Tojo. I am the maid of this island. I am pleased to meet you both."</p><p>"A maid?" Byakuya questioned, his face lighting up, if only slightly.</p><p>"So what, you'll do anything we tell you too without question?" Kokichi questioned, a sort of smile growing across his face. "That's what maids are for, right? Come on, tell me already, I'm really in need of a nice and long shoe shining after that broad chased me around the island."</p><p>"No." Kirumi stated. Kokichi gave the woman a look, as she shook her head. "During this game, my job is purely to serve Mister McLean and his assistant, Chef Hatchet. I have no reason to tend to any of the contestant's needs."</p><p>"Oh, boooooo." Kokichi groaned out. "And just when I thought you could be <em>interesting</em>." Kirumi didn't even react to this insult.</p><p>"But, wait...If you aren't here to serve us, why're you in this building?" Byakuya questioned.</p><p>"Simple; none of the staff got around to cleaning up the island before the season started. As such, Mister McLean ordered me to get to work on 'fixing it up'." Kirumi looked around the room a moment. "This was the next room I was planning to clean, so if you wouldn't mind, I'd like to get to work."</p><p>Kokichi rolled his eyes, before shrugging with a twisted smirk. "Ah, whatever, I'll just find some other chick to bother then." And with that, he began to exit the room, Byakuya following behind reluctantly...Only to come to a stop.</p><p>"Wait a moment..." Looking back, the heir growled out, "Where'd that girl go?"</p><hr/><p>Kyoko slowly walked down the halls of the old, decrypt building, her eyes narrowed in thought, as her left hand ground against the wall. This continued for a few more moments...Until she hit something. A sort of crack in the wall, that while faint, had the notable lining of a door. Without hesitation, she slipped her fingers between the crack and pulled on the wall.</p><p>In an instant, a secret door was revealed, one seemingly leading into complete darkness. Blinking to herself, she shook her head, and proceeded into the shadows, being sure to close the door behind her on the way inside.</p><hr/><p>Gundham couldn't help but groan under his breath as he stomped through the mud, the burial ground having been forsaken with rain days earlier if he had to guess. This land, a cemetery to be exact, has been lost to man for God knows how long, vegetation having consumed it, burying the graves under a thick layer of vines and decaying flowers. The mere sight was enough to bring to mind something he often told himself in these moments of despair.</p><p>"All civilizations are destined to collapse. Nothing begets existence, and existence begets nothing..." With a scoff, he walked forward and into the cemetery. "This is simply a reminder of that fact."</p><p>There wasn't anything all that special to the place; a simple though dull burial ground, with a couple dozen graves of varying sizes, though the sight of two of them next to each other brought a sort of dread to him that he'd never admit. Though, eventually, he found himself at the location of his choice; four smashed graves, all close together. "Ah...Earthly defiance of the basics of death. How amusing...If foolish." A cruel sort of chuckle erupted from within him.</p><p>Then...He heard it. A sort of chittering sound, one belonging to-</p><p>"Rodents," Gundham growled through clenched teeth, turning his gaze toward the nearby forest, where indeed, he saw something jumping through the bushes. It was a group of them. And this fact alone made the boy smirk. He reached into his pocket, as he tightened his grip, pulling out...</p><p>A small clear vial, filled with dark green pellets. An oddly genuine look formed on his face, as he dropped one into his open hand, and leaned down, holding it out near the smashed graves. And just like that, he spotted it; an eye glowing among the brush. "There you are…" He muttered, shaking his hand slightly, "Come on now little beast...Don't be shy."</p><p>The creature stared at him for a few more seconds, each one seemingly dragging on for years at a time in its mind...And yet, it waddled out, its white and orange fur shining brightly in the sunlight. It stared for just a little longer before it's temptation took over, and it ran forward, carefully grabbing onto the pellet and beginning to munch down.</p><p>"A hamster?" Gundham wondered aloud, before shifting his gaze back toward the bushes at the sound of ruffling. Before he knew it, three more ran out; one with bright brown and white fur, one with dull grey and white fur, and a massive golden orange one of considerable size. And all of them were pulling down his hand, nibbling on the same pellet, as he looked on in confusion.</p><p>"Strange...It never even occurred to me this sort of species could be running around out here." Humming aloud to himself, he poured a couple more pellets into his hand, before taking a moment to stroke his chin. "There must be some explanation for this-"</p><p>However, his questions were answered as his eyes adjusted, realization donning upon him, as he looked down at the four, smashed graves. "...But of <em>course</em>," he couldn't help but smirk, "you are not mere rodents...You are from the <em>heavens</em> itself!" The four stared up at him in bewonderment, as he stated, "It is clear to me; your revived spirits are a message to me. You are to act as my guardians on this journey of mine...Well then, names are in order."</p><p>Gundham's eyes scanned the graves once more, and his grin grew. "Then it's settled!" He turned his gaze toward the orange and white hamster, "As dictated by your grave from a past life," he picked it up gently and held it outward, "you shall be <em>San-D!"</em> The hamster blinked in confusion, as Gundham turned his gaze toward the others. "And the rest of you..." He looked at the brown and white one, "<em>Maga-Z</em>," he turned to the grey and white one, "<em>Jum-P</em>," and finally, he stared at the fat orange one, "and of course, <em>Cham-P!"</em></p><p>Gundham let out a defiant laugh, picking up the other three in one fell swoop, as he smirked at the bright blue sky above him. "Let it be known, world! This game shall not defeat me! I, <em>Gundham Tanaka</em>, shall rule this island, and destroy <em>all</em> who oppose me!" He struck a magnificent pose, declaring, "Join me, my new <em>Four Dark Devas of Destruction</em>, in my utter defiance of the world <em>above!"</em></p><p>And in spite of their prior conflict, in that instant above all else, the four realized their place on this island, and all of them took on the same expression as their new master. Striking the same pose as him, the five became united, their domineering aura shining brightly, even under the shade of the trees above…</p><p>All the while, peering in from just outside the cemetery, Kazuichi's face paled considerably, as he just as quickly left as he had arrived.</p><hr/><p>"<strong>Okay...After seeing </strong><em><strong>that</strong></em><strong>," Kazuichi started, "I can </strong><em><strong>tell</strong></em><strong> that guy is </strong><em><strong>definitely</strong></em><strong> bad news. The sooner he's off this island, the better. But I'll worry about that later. Right now, I still gotta find Miss Sonia." He hummed aloud as he stroked his chin. "Wonder where she could be..."</strong></p><hr/><p>Sonia couldn't help but blink in utter confusion as she stared up at the bizarre sight in front of her. A large, carved rock, showing off four different expressions, all of which belonged to...Chris McLean. "I...Am confused."</p><hr/><p>
  <strong>Chris couldn't help but chuckle, before shrugging, "Nothing was in the thing, so I just thought, 'why not treat myself'." He let out another chuckle to himself.</strong>
</p><hr/><p>"It...Certainly is a strange sight," a second voice muttered from behind her, walking up to reveal Kaede, who held an equally confused look.</p><p>"Ah, Kaede!" Sonia clapped her hands together and gave the girl a smile. "I'm glad we can now meet properly prior to the picking of the teams!"</p><p>"Yeah, so am I...Which actually brings up a question I had," Kaede gave her an inquisitive smile, "has anyone here interested you by chance."</p><p>"Oh, yes!" Sonia nodded her head happily, "That strange boy with the scarf...We didn't have a real chance to talk, but he gave me a good feeling."</p><p>However, this seemed to take the girl aback if anything, "Oh...Uh, really? Cause...I sorta thought he was a little-"</p><p>"And there was this other boy, the one with the pink hair," Sonia hummed to herself, "admittedly I didn't get much of a feeling from him, but he seemed to want to talk to me." She then shrugged, throwing on a smile once more, "Beyond that, I haven't had a true chance to speak to our fellow players yet."</p><p>"Oh...Well, thank you for the information at least," she gave the Novoselic girl a smile as she began to walk away, "I'll be sure to keep it in mind when I'm choosing the team." Kaede gave Sonia a wave, something the blonde was more than happy to return. Though, as soon as she was out of her sight, Kaede couldn't help but groan, "Every time I encounter someone, it feels like I take a step forward then take a step back; I'm barely making any progress, and who knows how much time is left."</p><p>"Perhaps you're approaching this all wrong." Kaede yelped at the voice, turning her head to see a strange boy staring back at her, "When you <em>only</em> talk to someone to learn if they'd be a good teammate, how can you expect to get anything out of it?"</p><p>In spite of her admitted discomfort, Kaede couldn't help but wonder to herself at his words, "I...Guess you have a point," turning to him once more, she asked, "I'm sorry but...I don't quite remember your name."</p><p>"Oh, that's completely and utterly expected, so do not worry yourself over it," he walked up to her, his white hair flapping with the growing winds, "my name is Nagito...And if you'd let me, I'd be <em>more</em> than willing to help you bond with our competitors."</p><p>As he said these words, Kaede's spirits rose, though, at the same time, she could feel a cold sweat run down her face.</p><hr/><p>Leon couldn't help but raise a brow as he stared at the statue before him. "I have...No idea what I'm looking at." The statue in question was roughly twenty feet tall and bronze in color, while featuring a man riding a horse...On top of a giant snake, that was getting attacked by a tiger, while an eagle flew above the guy. In all honesty, the whole thing looked messy, and it was a little difficult to tell what was even going on in it.</p><p>"You'd think whoever sculpted that thing would have actually had a <em>vision</em> before starting, but I guess I'm not one to judge," running a hand through his spiky orange hair, he turned his attention back toward the park behind him, which in contrast to the statue, was nice and simple, and basically the perfect area to have a picnic, or relax in a hammock, or...</p><p>Play sports...</p><p>Narrowing his eyes, Leon shook away that thought, "No, you can't think about that, Leon...Remember why you're out here in the first place." As he was thinking this through, his eyes ended up settling upon the sight of a beautiful, blue-haired beauty, and in an instant, his confidence was restored. <em>"Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeey</em>, Sayaka."</p><p>Sayaka's expression quickly turned into one of deadpan disinterest, as she let out a groan and turned to see the scrawny jock walking up to her. "...Hello, Leon."</p><p>"So, how's <em>your</em> day been?" Leon asked, a sultry smirk on his face, "Mine's been a little on the boring side, though I guess that <em>was</em> before I saw <em>you</em> here."</p><p>A shiver ran down her spine, before she rolled her eyes, "It's been fine. Is there something you wanted or-"</p><p>"Oh, well I know I want y-" Leon bit his tongue as soon as he saw the intense scowl on Sayaka's face, "...Uh, sorry. But for real, I just wanted to see if you'd want to hang out or-"</p><p>"I'm good, thanks," Sayaka stated simply, already beginning to walk away, "but I can see <em>someone</em> who'd probably take you up on your offer."</p><p>Leon rose a brow, "What-"</p><p>"Leon!" In an instant, an arm wrapped around his neck, pulling the jock close, as he glanced up to see a grinning Kiyotaka, "Glad to have run into you! I was wondering if you'd assist me in potentially bonding with some of my more aggressive peers!"</p><p>Leon's expression dulled, as he let out a groan, though not before allowing one final glance at the fleeing Sayaka.</p><hr/><p>"<strong>Man, what is that girl's deal?!" Leon groaned out, "I haven't done anything to her and she's acting like I'm a disease or something, which </strong><em><strong>sucks</strong></em><strong> since she's </strong><em><strong>so</strong></em><strong> hot! If I was gonna get blanked by somebody, why couldn't it have been someone a bit uglier, like...I don't know, Sakura or something?"</strong></p><hr/><p>Running across the beachside of the island, Sakura came to an abrupt stop, sweat running down the side of her face as she took a moment to wipe herself down with her hand. "That...Was satisfactory for the moment. We can take a momentary break."</p><p>Hina let out a gasp as she fell to her knees, pouting out, "Man...Sakura, if we do this regularly, my thighs are gonna be ripped by the end of the summer!" The far larger girl let out a chuckle at this, as a satisfied smile grew across Hina's face. In contrast to the other two, however, Gonta seemed completely normal, seemingly not inhibited in any way, which Hina quickly took notice of, "Wait...Gonta, how come you're not tired from all that?"</p><p>"Gonta is used to traveling vast differences to see families," he explained with a small smile, "am used to far larger expanses of land."</p><p>"Woah...That's incredible!" Hina beamed brightly in admiration, "I wish I could do that! That way I'd be fast on both land <em>and</em> sea!"</p><p>"Sea?" Sakura questioned, looking at the girl for a moment, before smirking, "Ah...So you're a swimmer then?"</p><p>"Not just <em>a</em> swimmer, I'm one of the best my school has to offer!" Hina placed her hands on her hips and voiced excitedly, "I've been the star player of my school's swim team for almost three years! My coach says I could even go pro one day!"</p><p>"That's quite the accomplishment, fairly similar to how I am with mixed martial arts," Sakura mumbled, running a hand through her hair as she continued, "come to think of it, most of those competing seems to be quite talented, far more than your average teenager."</p><p>"What do you mean?" Gonta asked, his innocent though clueless expression shining among the beach.</p><p>"Sayaka's a famous pop idol, Fuyuhiko belongs to the Kuzuryu family, Miu is a talented inventor...None of us truly stand out as being completely normal in my eyes," Sakura shook her head in suspicion, "the only exceptions from what I can see are Hajime and Nagito, and even then, they give off a feeling to me that they're more than meets the eye. This all feels more reminiscent of a talent competition than a game show if you ask me."</p><p>"Well...Maybe that's the theme of season!" Hina reasoned.</p><p>"Perhaps, though I feel like they would have made that clear in the applications," Sakura said, before sighing, "sorry if I'm boring you with my ramblings. This all seems very confusing is all."</p><p>"Oh, no no, I think that's very interesting! I just don't completely get what you mean is all," Hina said, rubbing the back of her head awkwardly with a blush.</p><p>Sakura couldn't help but smile a little at this. "...That is probably a good enough break," wiping her head one last time, she prepared to start running, "are you both ready?"</p><p>"Yes!" They both declared as Sakura smirked.</p><p>"Good...Now," she suddenly sprinted off, "let us continue!"</p><hr/><p>"<strong>I have a few friends where I live. For the most part, I simply reside inside my family's dojo, and occasionally sparring with...Someone I used to be very close to," lowering her head, Sakura muttered, "I likely would still be there, if not for my family insisting I take this chance to explore a part of the world I was unfamiliar with."</strong></p><p>
  <strong>Frowning, she mumbled under her breath, "I only hope they are doing well without me there to help them...But I can't worry about that at the moment." Narrowing her eyes, she said, "As long as I am in this competition, I must put all of my strength into winning. The money could help considerably with repairs, and perhaps giving us a more comfortable living situation; certainly would mean I wouldn't have to leave so often to compete in tournaments simply to make end's meet."</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Sakura allowed a smile to form. "I will admit though, I have a good feeling about both Gonta and Hina. I feel a sort of relation there that I'm sure they reciprocate. With them by my side, this game shall hopefully be easier to overcome."</strong>
</p><hr/><p>"Dang, you seriously haven't seen her?" Kazuichi complained, rubbing his head in disbelief.</p><p>"Yep, yep," Ibuki chirped, her arms folded behind her head as she walked down the path, a big grin on her face, "Ibuki hasn't seen anyone since she left the hotel!"</p><p>"Aw, maaaaaaaaaan," Kazuichi groaned, before reluctantly letting out a sigh, "well, whatever...I still have the rest of the season, right? No rush, I guess."</p><p>"Woaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah."</p><p>"What-" Kazuichi's eyes went wide as he stared out in front of him, "Holy <em>crap!" </em>Before the pair was a <em>massive</em> wooden <em>pirate ship</em>, it's mast at the ready and it's exterior practically shimmering from a new shiny polish. "T-This place has <em>pirates?!"</em> He quickly pulled his beanie over his face in an attempt to hide his fearful expression, "W-We gotta tell the others that-"</p><p>"Not needed."</p><p>Both Ibuki and Kazuichi jumped a bit at the voice, turning around...Only to see Chef Hatchet staring down at them, which somehow only caused them to look even <em>more</em> terrified. "There ain't any doggone pirates on the island. All that's for is transportation back to the mainland for the cast and crew."</p><p>Ibuki blinked at this, before tapping her chin with a smile, "So...Since it's not in <em>use</em> right now, could we maybe-"</p><p>"You can't use it," he growled out, "I ain't letting <em>any of 'ya</em> touch <em>my</em> stuff. The last time that happened, my whole collection of go-karts was smashed and torn apart! I ain't takin' another risk of that."</p><p>"Awwwwww..." Ibuki groaned out, before folding her arms, "that <em>suuuuucks</em>," then out of nowhere, a massive grin expanded across her face, "but makes <em>perfect</em> sense to me!" Chef Hatchet merely gave her a strange look, but before he could question anything, the girl was already skipping away, humming a song to herself.</p><p>"That girl ain't right," Chef Hatchet growled out, before shaking his head. Kazuichi was about to be off himself, only to be held back as Chef grabbed onto his shoulder, "now stop there, son. I got something to say to you."</p><p>"Uhhhhh," Kazuhichi muttered, turning his head to reveal a pale face, as he forced out in a sort of whisper, "y-yeah?"</p><p>"You're a mechanic, right?" Kazuichi was taken aback by this, before Chef explained, "I got your bio with casting, kid. Now, answer."</p><p>"Well...Yeah-"</p><p>"Good," Chef gave him a stern glare, "then you're gonna help me with something...Report to the kitchen at the hotel at exactly <em>ten am</em> tomorrow morning. If you don't...Well, you won't have to worry about that, since I <em>know</em> you won't stand me up." His glare hardened, "Right?"</p><p>Kazuichi flinched at the sudden strain being placed on his shoulder, "Y-Yeah, yeah! I won't!"</p><p>"Alright, glad we came to an agreement," he loosened his grip, and promptly stomped away, "Seeya tomorrow, city boy."</p><p>As the large, burly man walked away, Kazuichi only watched on, his body shaking in dismay, as he reached up and grabbed onto his hurt shoulder in fear.</p><hr/><p>"<em>Goddammit, would you leave me alone, freak?!"</em></p><p>Pushing open the doors to the large, abandoned airport, Fuyuhiko stomped away from the building as fast he could, desperately trying to get away from-</p><p>Running out of the hospital moments later, Kiyotaka screamed out, "Mister Kuzuryu, please stop running away while I'm trying to talk to you! This is greatly disrespectful!"</p><p>"Get the Hell away from me!"</p><p>"Don't say that word! It's far too inappropriate for someone of your age!"</p><p>"<em>I'm as old as you, </em><em><strong>asshole</strong></em><em>!"</em></p><p>As the two ran off further into the airport, Leon took just a step out of the airport entrance, his expression one of mild amusement and deadpan confidence, "Tried to warn the guy, the little dude clearly isn't one for conversation." With a stretch, he mumbled, "Well, I probably still have enough time to try and meet up with Kazuichi or something, maybe get in a nap or-"</p><p>"Jesus, this stupid fucking thing is <em>useless!"</em> Leon flinched at the harsh, feminine tone nearby, turning to his right...Only to see two girls; Miu, who was currently digging through the side of a toppled of a plane, having ripped off a section of it and looking inside, and beside her, Peko, who was...Just leaning against it doing nothing.</p><p>"I mean, <em>fuck</em>, why have an <em>airport</em> if they took out all the fucking engines! It's total bullshit, <em>I could have used those!"</em> Miu screamed, taking her head out of the plane and throwing her wrench at the ground full force, "Stupid, stupid, stupid, <em>bullshit, bullshit, </em><em><strong>bullshit</strong></em><em>!"</em></p><p>Besides the airplane, Peko looked on in mild discomfort, some sweat running down the side of her face, "That's...Unfortunate-"</p><p>"It's stupidly fucking awful, <em>that's</em> what it is!" Miu groaned out, facepalming hard and turning to glare at the girl, "Why the Hell are you even <em>here</em> anyway? I didn't ask for you and your stupid baggy tits to come to help me anyways."</p><p>Peko looked off to the side a moment, "I was told-" She went silent, "...I must interact with others. It's my duty if I am to stay on this island long enough to fulfill my purpose."</p><p>Raising a brow...Miu shrugged, "Eh, whatever, I don't actually care anyways," turning back to the plane, she screamed, "but if you wanna make yourself useful you pasty white cow, go search the other planes and see if there's anything I could bother salvaging! I got shit to do on this island and it ain't all related to the game itself!" Peko simply nodded and was about to walk away...Only-</p><p>The intercoms near the airport sprung to life, <em>"Alrighty campers, enough time has passed! Get your butts a'movin' back to Hotel Mirai! It's time for you all to get divided into your teams!"</em></p><p>"Son of a <em>whore!"</em> Miu growled out, punching the plane...Only to cringe, and pull back with a visibly tearful look, <em>"Owwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!"</em> As she rubbed her hand, Peko (awkwardly) patted her back and moved her along, as the two started to walk back to the hotel.</p><p>All the while, Leon had been watching the whole time, confusion plaguing his face...Only for him to shrug, "Weird girls...Pretty hot though."</p><hr/><p>"<strong>God, fuck, that thing hurt!" Miu whined while waving her hand in some foolish attempt to shake away the pain. "Great, first all the engines are gone, then that Albino </strong><em><strong>cunt</strong></em><strong> with those stupid fucking mas- </strong><em><strong>tiny</strong></em><strong> tits shows up, and now I gotta throw away all </strong><em><strong>my</strong></em><strong> time just to get put on a team I don't even wanna be on! Today </strong><em><strong>sucks</strong></em><strong> and sucks freaking </strong><em><strong>hard!</strong></em><strong> It's like today is deepthroating my-"</strong></p><hr/><p>Smirking to himself, Chris McLean back from the microphone and sloppily fell into his chair, sighing in relief before throwing his legs up onto the desk. "We got like...Ten, fifteen minutes 'till the kids show up. Plenty o' time to relax..." Sitting beside him, Chef gave the host a look...Before shrugging, and resuming the same position as his partner-in-crime.</p><p>The pair, along with all the interns, were currently resting inside a massive employee break room, with most of the staff broken off in pairs or trios talking about their days and interests, or basically anything else they hand on the mind. As such, nobody batted an eye when Makoto pushed open the door, letting out an exhausted yawn as he walked inside.</p><p>"Hey, Makoto," he turned to see Mahiru sitting on a nearby couch, giving him a wave with a genuine smile on her face. Returning the grin, he walked up to and sat beside her, prompting her to ask, "so, how was <em>your</em> day?"</p><p>"Honestly...Mostly pretty boring." He looked off to the side awkwardly, "You'd think working on a game show would be interesting, but really I just did the same kind of work I did at any other job I've had."</p><p>Mahiru shook her head with a knowing smirk on her face, "Yeah, sorry to ruin your expectations, but for the most part, working in the film industry is comparable to a supermarket job; rushed, cheap, and full of regret." This comment was enough to help Makoto crack a bit, stifling a laugh by coughing into his hand. "Anything else?"</p><p>And in an instant, his expression and body language changed, as he looked off to the side...Before smiling, "Well...I guess I <em>did</em> talk to one of the players, and...That was <em>kinda</em> nice."</p><p>"Yeah, won't lie, at least most of the cast seem sane enough, but I still probably wouldn't spend much of my free time talking to them," she shrugged, "just don't think I could relate to them much."</p><p>"Well, you won't know that until you try it, though," Makoto countered.</p><p>"Fair point," she simply responded, before smiling, "though I do think I'll be sticking to talking to staff, I won't stop you from talking with that friend of yours."</p><p>"Same to you," he said, as the two exchanged another smile.</p><p>Nearby, however, and walking up to the two hosts, was a familiar green-haired intern, a calm smirk on his face. Stepping up to the host in charge, he said, "Hey, Chris, I have-"</p><p>"Chris <em>McLean</em>," the host interrupted with a scowl, "or Mister McLean; I'm your boss, kid, act like it." Chef rolled his eyes soon after.</p><p>"Okay. <em>Mister</em> McLean, I ran some statistics on the season," the intern handed over the paper, before taking a few steps back, "but since I probably have other stuff to do, I'll just let you read them." And with that, the boy began to whistle as he walked away, while Chris gave him a cruel glare.</p><p>"Weird kid." Chris nonetheless shrugged and looked over the paper...Only for his eyes to bulge, "...No...No!" Letting out a frustrated scream, he smashed his hand against the desk, instantly causing everyone's heads to turn toward the host in shock.</p><p>Chef in particular seemed the most surprised, asking, "Uh...You good, man?"</p><p>"No! No I am <em>not</em> okay! We got the cast size wrong!" And in an instant, Chef felt the same dread as his partner. "We were supposed to have <em>twenty-eight </em>players this season, not <em>twenty-six!</em> It was in our <em>contract!</em> If it makes it to air that we aren't delivering what we promised, we could get <em>sued!"</em> Rubbing his head in horror, the host plopped down onto his chair once more, shaking in a panic. "I can't go back to hosting <em>puppy appreciation week!</em> I can't! I just can't!"</p><p>"Chill, Chris, chill!" Chef grunted out, walking up to him and swiping the contract away to look at it. "There's gotta be some fine print...Ha!" Pulling it back, he pointed at the paper and said, "It <em>only</em> says we need that number of players, not that Jin needed to choose <em>all</em> of them. So all we gotta do is grab two nobodies and throw them in, and we're good."</p><p>Chris narrowed his eyes, "Yeah, but where the heck are we gonna find two new players at a time like this-" Before he could finish though, Chef was already turning his attention toward the group of teenagers, all conveniently located in the room. Chris blinked...Before smirking. "Well...Nevermind then."</p><p>As the interns all exchanged nervous glances, the pair of Mahiru and Makoto, in particular, couldn't help but throw on a look of genuine fear.</p><hr/><p>Back in the main lobby, the <em>current</em> cast of Totally Dramatic Island had gathered, with Kiyotaka and Kaede at the front of the pack. The former looked to thinking to himself, his mind at the ready and prepared for anything that was to happen. In contrast, Kaede looked...Rather unsure of herself, looking over the crowd, before her eyes settled on one boy in particular; Nagito, who winked at her with a reassuring smile. All this did was cause her to frown.</p><p>"Alright, sorry I'm late, sorta got caught up in some last-minute Total Drama...Drama, but now that it's dealt with, we can get on with the show," Chris announced as he walked into the room, walking between the two teams captains with Chef behind him.</p><p>The large man in question was also holding something in both hands; in the left, a rolled-up lavender mat; in the right, a rolled-up marigold-colored mat. Without a moment of hesitation, he laid out the two mats on the ground, before grunting for the players to stand on them. And with some reluctance, they did; Kaede taking the lavender one, while Kiyotaka took the marigold one.</p><p>"Those will be your team colors for the duration of the competition," Chris said, before saying, "now, it's time to pick the teams. We'll be handling this the same way as action, going boy, girl, boy, girl, and continuously trading off until both teams have even gender ratios. And since I'm a gentleman, we'll go with ladies first," he turned to Kaede, "you're up."</p><p>"Oh, uh..." Her eyes scanned the crowd once more, and with that, she spotted Nagito staring at her expectedly.</p><hr/><p>"<strong>Right before the challenge ended, Nagito came up to me and offered me a deal," Kaede mumbled, "the deal was that if I chose him first, he'd help me pick my team. Now, I know for a fact I don't </strong><em><strong>need</strong></em><strong> his help...But I won't lie, having a second person to run my decisions by would make this a lot easier, that...And this is gonna sound bad...If in the end, my decisions </strong><em><strong>don't</strong></em><strong> work out...Having a potential </strong><em><strong>fall guy</strong></em><strong> would ensure I don't get complete blame for it..."</strong></p><p>
  <strong>Letting out a low groan, she muttered, "Is it mean to think that way? I mean...It </strong>
  <em>
    <strong>is</strong>
  </em>
  <strong> a million dollars, so I don't </strong>
  <em>
    <strong>think</strong>
  </em>
  <strong> so, but I don't know, this sort of thing is hard...But in the end, this is a competition, and regardless I still need to make sure I win in the end, don't I?"</strong>
</p><hr/><p>"I choose Nagito," Kaede stated, pointing at the pale boy.</p><p>Nagito smiled at this, standing up from his seat and walking up to the girl, the other players giving him weird looks as he passed by them. Upon reaching Kaede, he whispered, "Glad to see you take me up on my offer." She couldn't help but look away as he said this though.</p><p>"Alright," Chris turned to Kiyotaka, "Taka, now you're up."</p><p>"Affirmative, thank you!" The boy screamed just a bit too loudly, before stroking his chin. He was about to make his choice...Only to remember something from earlier in the day.</p><hr/><p>
  <em>Choosing to ignore Hajime's look, Kiyotaka simply hummed to himself, before nodding, "Very well. Makes more than enough sense to me." He looked down at Chiaki, who sure enough had dozed off once more. His fiery eyes stared through her, as he growled out, "Look at her...She may not even be ready once it's time to pick the teams!"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Hajime couldn't help but glare a bit at this. "Look, I get you have...Some kind of power, but don't be a jerk, alright? Everybody here has potential; if they didn't I doubt they would have even made it past casting." Kiyotaka couldn't help but give the brunette a glare at this, causing the average boy to sigh reluctantly. "Just...Don't forget that while you're picking. Who knows; some people may surprise you."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>For a brief moment, Kiyotaka couldn't help but feel taken aback, his mind wandering as he turned away. After a second, he couldn't help but chuckle, turning to Hajime confidently. "I see...I'll certainly keep that in mind, Hajime!"</em>
</p><hr/><p>"...Chiaki!" Kiyotaka declared, "I choose you!"</p><p>This caused the <em>entire</em> room to stare at the captain in shock, including the newly awakened girl, who blinked and pointed at herself, "Me?" Kiyotaka nodded, and after a moment, she let out a low sigh, and got up, "Okay."</p><p>As Chiaki walked up to the mat, Kaede scanned the group, unsure who to choose next...Before Nagito said, "Prioritize those you've talked to, at least a little. Maybe someone you relate to in some way."</p><p>"How would I know that?" She mumbled, before looking over the group once more...As her eyes landed upon a certain pop idol. Remembering their conversations back on the beach, she said, "Sayaka."</p><p>The idol smiled at this, walking up to her new team, before Kiyotaka announced, "Hajime!"</p><p>"Nekomaru." Kaede continued. The large man smirked confidently, running up to the mat while laughing proudly.</p><p>"Miss Tsumugi!" Kiyotaka countered, by this point seemingly just going off of bare basic details, such as how well one maintained their outfit. Nonetheless, the girl smiled pleasantly enough and walked up slowly.</p><p>"Ibuki." The rocker chick shouted to the heavens above.</p><p>"Leon!" The punk let out a low laugh before walking up, though not before glancing over to the other team, only to receive a sort of glare from Sayaka in the process.</p><p>Less than a minute in, and the teams had already been settling in; Kiyotaka, Chiaki, Hajime, Tsumugi, and Leon on the right side, while on the left was Kaede, Nagito, Sayaka, Nekomaru, and Ibuki. But along with it, just about all the clear as day choices had been decided on by both sides, leaving them with little to go off of from this point forward.</p><p>Scanning the crowd once more, Kaede couldn't help but mutter out loud, "There's...Not really much for me to go off of now...This is really difficult." She turned to the others. "Any of you have any opinions on who is next?"</p><p>Sayaka shrugged with a frown. "Sorry, I didn't really talk to many people today." Ibuki nodded along with this.</p><p>"Maybe Mondo?" Nekomaru muttered, before shaking his head, "Actually...He did seem kinda grouchy when we talked."</p><p>"I think we could work with that," Kaede smiled, before looking back, "we choose-"</p><p>"Hold on, Kaede," Nagito interrupted, pulling her back with a smile, "look at the other team." As she did what he said, he whispered, "Taka got into quite the fight with Mondo on the beach. Wouldn't having that kind of rivalry going on during a challenge cause quite the <em>hindrance</em> for them?"</p><p>Thinking on this, she took another step back, whispering, "Well...Then who do you recommend?"</p><p>"I'd say..." He whispered something in her ear, which caused her eyes to widen.</p><p>"Really?" She asked. Nagito nodded, causing her to groan. "I choose...Byakuya." The rest of her teammates gave the girl a look, while the heir simply smirked, walking up to his new team with a confident stride in his step.</p><p>"Ha!" Kiyotaka laughed, before stating, "Clearly she has made a fatal error! No matter, that just proves my team shall be superior!"</p><p>"Maybe don't say that out loud..." Hajime groaned while folding his arms, while Leon shook his head disapprovingly.</p><p>"Now then, moving along," he turned toward the crowd, "Miss Hina, you seem quite acceptable! I choose you!"</p><p>"Jeez...Thanks for such high words of praise," Hina mumbled, before getting up and walking over.</p><p>"Akane," Kaede said once more, smiling while adding on, "you were nice to talk to at the barn, so hopefully we can work well together."</p><p>Grinning brightly, Akane ran over and heartily slapped the girl on the wrist, "Won't let you down," she then turned to Nekomaru, and said, "Hey, now we got more of a reason to train together, huh, big guy?" The large man beamed a smile in exchange.</p><p>"Fuyuhiko, I genuinely wish to 'bond' with you! Please make your way over to my team!" Kiyotaka screeched.</p><p>Rolling his eyes, Fuyuhiko grumbled out, "Whatever you say, asshole," before walking over with a glare.</p><p>Glancing over at the currently talking Akane and Nekomaru, Nagito smiled, before whispering to Kaede, "A bit more muscle should be more than enough."</p><p>"Got it," Kaede nodded, before turning back to the crowd. After a second, she smiled, "Gonta."</p><p>"Gonta appreciate your choice! Promise to not let you down," the boy declared as he walked up to the group with a big, goofy smile.</p><p>On the other team, Hina said to Kiyotaka, "Sakura and I bonded a lot today. And she's <em>super</em> strong and athletic! You should choose her!"</p><p>"While I appreciate your input, Miss Hina, I'm afraid it is <em>my</em> choice to make on who we shall be working with," Kiyotaka sternly stated...Before announcing, "I choose Sakura!" Hina gave him a deadpan glare in response, before glancing at the camera a moment. After that though, followed a series of simple, not very interesting choices.</p><p>"Sonia."</p><p>"Kazuichi!"</p><p>"Gundham."</p><p>"Kyoko!"</p><p>The camera flashed back to the two teams, their numbers having changed by quite a bit. On the lavender mat were Kaede, Nagito, Sayaka, Nekomaru, Ibuki, Byakuya, Akane, Gonta, Sonia, and Gundham. On the marigold mat, meanwhile, were Kiyotaka, Chiaki, Hajime, Tsumugi, Leon, Hina, Fuyuhiko, Sakura, Kazuichi, and Kyoko. This left only six players still yet to be picked for a team; Celeste, Hiro, Kokichi, Miu, Mondo, and Peko.</p><p>"Hmmm, not too many worthwhile options left," Byakuya grumbled under his breath. Kaede was about to say something in response, only to hold back. As much as she wouldn't want to admit it, he was <em>kind</em> of right.</p><p>Sonia did not share that opinion though. "I'm sorry to say, but you're wrong, sir!" With confidence, she declared, "With the right team, <em>anybody</em> could flourish, for all those around us are brimming with potential!"</p><p>"Optimistic fool," Gundham growled in a coarse whisper, just loud enough for her to hear.</p><p>"It is not optimism, it's simply the truth." Sonia narrowed eyes in determination. "I for one would be more than happy to have any of them on our team."</p><p>"Alright then...What if <em>you</em> choose then if they're all supposedly worth your time?" Byakuya insisted, a cruel, knowing smirk on his face.</p><p>Taken aback at this, Sonia turned to Kaede, who reluctantly shrugged, as Sonia let out a low sigh. "Alright then..." Looking over the options once more, she said, "Kaede, I wish to choose Peko!"</p><p>"I...If you wish," Kaede sighed, before nodding to Chris, who pointed for Peko to move. As the pale girl walked to the other team, her and Fuyuhiko's eyes met for just a moment, before both turned away from each other.</p><p>Kiyotaka on the other hand didn't seem to bother with analyzing the players much, "Kokichi, in spite of your behavior on the beach, I believe separating you and Miss Akane is the best decision for everyone's safety! I hope you don't make me regret this."</p><p>"Oh, don't worry, captain, I sure won't let <em>you</em> down," Kokichi said, a sickening grin twisting onto his face as he walked past the boy.</p><p>Knowing the current plan, Kaede quickly said, "Hiro...I guess."</p><p>"Woah...Thanks!" Hiro let out a laugh as he walked up to the team, "Glad to be working with you dudes!" In spite of the plan though, Kaede, and the rest of her team at that, couldn't help but feel just a little disappointed to having the bumbling man on their team.</p><p>Similarly, comparing the final two girls, Kiyotaka shrugged, "Celeste, you seem like the superior choice between the two."</p><p>"Merci," Celeste bowed, before walking up to her new team, though the hall monitor couldn't help but notice a sort of hostile grimace on her face as she passed by.</p><p>The two captains turned back to the last two choices; Miu and Mondo, neither of whom seemed to care all too much about their status as the 'loser picks', as both just waited for this whole thing to be over. Standing up, Miu groaned, "I'll just head on over to baggy tit's team, I guess. Not like she could choose dick-hair anyways."</p><p>As she walked away, Mondo's eyes fired up, as he growled, "The <em>fuck</em> did you just call me?" Miu simply responded by blowing-a-raspberry at him, before walking up to Kaede's team.</p><p>"Baggy tits?" Kaede mumbled to herself, as Miu walked past her with a knowing smirk.</p><p>However, a sort of dread washed over Kiyotaka's face, as he muttered, "So wait...That means-"</p><p>"Yeah, yeah, we're on the same team, get over it," Mondo grumbled as he pushed past him and onto the mat as well, the two exchanging a glare for a moment, before turning back toward the host.</p><p>"So...Usually, this is where I'd announce the team names just to finalize it all, and yadda-yadda...<em>But</em>, I have a <em>bit</em> of a last-minute twist for both teams..." Chris looked over the cast's...Lackluster reactions to this. After a moment, he groaned, before announcing, "Both teams will be getting <em>one</em> additional member...In the form of two players, you <em>have not met yet!"</em></p><p>The contestants gasped at this news, giving Chris the reaction he wanted and allowing his smile to return. A moment later, Kiyotaka stepped up to say, "That's <em>boulder dash, </em>Mister McLean! Had we known this, our choices could have changed drastically!"</p><p>"Yep...Which is why I didn't say anything!" Chris let out a chuckle, before noting, "That's why it's called a <em>twist</em>." Kiyotaka grumbled at this, as the host added on, "With that said...Inte- I mean...<em>Players</em>, step out from the corner and reveal yourselves!"</p><p>And just like that, two figures, one a short boy, and the other an average-sized girl walked out. The boy was far below average in terms of height, with a scrawny build and a mess of brunette hair. He was wearing a zipped-up dull green hoodie with a red stripe along the zipper, an open black jacket with gold buttons over the hoodie, black jeans, and red sneakers with white toes. In contrast, the girl had dark red hair in a bob cut, and her outfit consisted of an olive-green school jumper with a plaid white-and-orange tie, which she knots around the collar of her uniform shirt.</p><p>"Meet <em><strong>Makoto</strong></em> and <em><strong>Mahiru</strong></em>; your two new teammates and competitors for the rest of the Summer!" Smirking, Chris said, "And just to even out the genders, I'll be putting Makoto on Kaede's team and Mahiru on Kiyotaka's...Now, move it!" With a push, the two were sent forward awkwardly, as they quickly scrambled over to their teams.</p><p>"Uh...Hey?" Makoto mumbled, a nervous look on his face as he approached his new team, who seems to be scanning him. "I...Guess we'll be working together...Heh."</p><p>Humming out loud, Byakuya clicked his tongue, "Seems we got the <em>runt</em> between the two...He won't last long."</p><p>Makoto flinched at this, quickly disappearing among the crowd and walking to the back, not wanting to be seen by his new 'teammates'...That is, until-</p><p>"So..." He yelped at the voice, turning to see...Sayaka, smiling kindly at him, before finishing with, "I...Guess we're on the same team...Looks like talking got a lot easier now."</p><p>His eyes shined for a moment, before he quickly muttered, "Uh...Yeah! Yeah, it's...Nice." She gave him a smile, one he happily returned, before they turned back toward the host.</p><p>Meanwhile, Mahiru groaned as she walked up to her team. "I'd...Rather not make a big deal about this. It's nice to meet all of you, though."</p><p>"A pleasure," Kiyotaka muttered, still not over the surprise as she walked past him.</p><p>Walking up to her, Tsumugi gave Mahiru a wave, "Hey, guess we'll be on a team, huh?"</p><p>"Oh," Mahiru blinked at the girl...Before sheepishly muttering, "uh, yeah, I guess..." Awkwardly exchanging smiles, Mahiru made her way to the back of the pack, desperately trying to hide her utter contempt for the current situation with all her strength.</p><p>"Alright, now that the totally planned twist is over and done with," he turned to the lavender team, which was now made up of Akane, Byakuya, Gonta, Gundham, Hiro, Ibuki, Kaede, Makoto, Miu, Nagito, Nekomaru, Peko, Sayaka, and Sonia, "Kaede, from this point on," he pulled out a small rolled-up flag of a similar color, which he threw over to her, "your team will now be known as..."</p><p>"...The <em><strong>Soaring Eagles</strong></em><em>!"</em></p><p>Folding out the flag, it revealed a simple symbol; a large bald eagle, its wings stretched out and its eyes narrowed. Nekomaru blinked, before letting out a laugh. "Alright! Cool flag!"</p><p>"And to the other team," Chris turned to the marigold team, made up of Celeste, Chiaki, Fuyuhiko, Hajime, Hina, Kazuichi, Kiyotaka, Kokichi, Kyoko, Leon, Mahiru, Mondo, Sakura, and Tsumugi, before pulling out another flag and tossing it over, "from today onward, you are now..."</p><p>"...The <em><strong>Ferocious Tigers</strong></em><em>!"</em></p><p>Rolling out the flag, the team was met with a symbol of their own; a massive, angry-looking tiger roaring as it sheathed its claws. Leon smirked at the flag, nodding to himself before saying, "Not bad, not bad at all."</p><p>"So...Now that the teams are settled," Chris started up again, "from here on out, for the next eight weeks, you will <em>all</em> be living on this island. During free hours, you're free to explore it to your leisure however you feel, which <em>trust</em> me, is to your benefit, though I won't reveal <em>why</em> just yet...That's best left saved for once you're all settled in. With that said though, it's getting late, so I had Chef and his assistant whip you up some dinner upstairs. With that said," he opened up his arms, and declared once more, "welcome to <em>Totally Dramatic Island</em>...And good luck to all of you."</p><hr/><p>"<strong>So...I won't lie, that didn't go as badly as I thought it would," Kaede muttered, a half-smile forming on her face, "I mean, sure it was a </strong><em><strong>bit</strong></em><strong> uncomfortable at points, but for the most part that wasn't so bad, and I genuinely like my team quite a bit...Maybe I was just overthinking it earlier."</strong></p><p>
  <strong>Grinning to herself, she turned to the camera with a smile, "Well...I promise this; I, Kaede Akamatsu, vow to be the </strong>
  <em>
    <strong>best</strong>
  </em>
  <strong> leader my team could ask for! No matter what we face in the future, I'll take it on without complaint, and show the world why I </strong>
  <em>
    <strong>deserve</strong>
  </em>
  <strong> to be out here!"</strong>
</p><hr/><p>"<strong>Okay...So I'm admittedly not in a great mood now," Mahiru grumbled, folding her arms and saying, "I didn't sign up to be a </strong><em><strong>contestant</strong></em><strong>, I signed up to film the outdoors and get some nice pictures. Instead, now I'm being forced into competing for money I never even wanted in the first place, and in case it isn't obvious, I'm not all too fond of being forced to do something."</strong></p><p>
  <strong>With a groan, she looked down for a moment, before reluctantly saying, "But...Now that I'm in this situation, I may as well try and make the best of it...And besides, if I do somehow win, it's </strong>
  <em>
    <strong>still</strong>
  </em>
  <strong> money, and having more of that is better than nothing. So, with that said, Chris," she narrowed her eyes, "bring it on, because if I'm forced to compete, I won't let myself lose to </strong>
  <em>
    <strong>you</strong>
  </em>
  <strong>."</strong>
</p><hr/><p>"<strong>I won't lie, when Mahiru and I were forced to compete, I was kind of worried...But now, I guess I have more of a reason to talk to Sayaka," Makoto admitted, a sort of blush forming on his face, "I still can't believe she remembers me...Guess I finally have an excuse to talk to her."</strong></p><p>"<strong>And besides, nothing's stopping me from making a couple of new friends out here too, and since I admittedly don't have a ton of those back home, maybe this whole thing was a blessing in disguise." Grinning brightly, he stood straight and said, "Yeah...Yeah! I won't let this opportunity go to waste! Even if it's not what I signed up for, I won't let myself give up so soon!" He turned to the camera and gave it a wave, "So, wish me luck everyone, cause from here on out, I'm in this to win it!"</strong></p><hr/><p>"Bon appétit, players!" Teruteru announced as they arrived upstairs, their eyes going wide at the sight before them; table after table absolutely <em>overflowing</em> with delicious, mouth-watering food. All was silent for just a moment, as the players simply took in the sight...</p><p>"<em>FOOOOOOOOD!"</em> That is until Akane sped to the front of the pack, smashing through them and <em>diving</em> at one of the tables, immediately getting to work tearing into an entire turkey. And just like that, the entire room descended into absolute chaos, everyone going off to eat their well-deserved dinner to prepare for whatever awaited them the next day.</p><hr/><p>
  <strong>Teruteru shook his head in displeasure, grumbling, "Ungrateful contestants...Can't they take the time to just enjoy the dang food! I slaved over that for an hour and they're going through it in seconds!"</strong>
</p><hr/><p>Nekomaru couldn't help but give Akane a weird look as she got to work gouging herself on the buffet of food, practically consuming a full <em>day's</em> worth of calories in the span of a couple of minutes. "Man...That's <em>insane!</em> How do you even get all that in there?"</p><p>"One of my old ma's always told me if I get the chance to eat, I take it, and don't hold back," Akane explained, taking a huge chunk out of a turkey leg before shrugging. "So screw taking it slow or not giving this my all! I'm freakin' hungry, so I'm gonna eat as much as I want."</p><p>Smirking a little, Nekomaru let out a laugh at her words. "Well, I guess no harm means no foul-" He stopped. "Wait, did you say your <em>old</em> m-" As he was saying this though, his face went pale, and he clenched onto his stomach. "Oh no."</p><p>"Huh?" Akane mumbled, looking up to give him a look. "You good-"</p><p>Before she could even finish, he jumped out of his chair and sped toward the bathroom, "Outta my <em>waaaaaaay! I gotta </em><em><strong>shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit</strong></em><em>!"</em> Slamming the door open as hard as he could, he disappeared from sight, though his screams continued to echo even from the other room.</p><p>Blinking, Akane shrugged, smiling to herself as she took another bite of her food. "Weird guy."</p><p>Sitting at the table across from her, Peko took a small bite out of a bread roll, before looking up. "I want to thank you again for choosing me. I wouldn't have been very comfortable being picked last; I'd rather avoid the attention if I can."</p><p>On the other side of the table, Sonia simply smiled, tilting her head ever so much. "It was no problem, Peko. I just have a good feeling about you! I simply couldn't let that go to waste." Peko nodded along to this, taking another bite of her bread. "Though, I do wish I could have gotten some of my other picks onto my team. In fact, I wish I didn't have to compete against any of them; I'm not particularly fond of confrontation."</p><p>"Then you shouldn't have signed up for a competition," Peko stated bluntly.</p><p>Cringing at this, Sonia blushed in embarrassment for a moment, before quickly breathing in. "You're correct...But I couldn't waste this opportunity. My people aren't seen all that often in foreign media. As such, for the sake of Novoselic, I will provide a good image for all to aspire to!" As she said this though, her eyes couldn't help but wonder, taking notice of a certain boy, Gundham, seemingly stuffing his pockets with all sorts of odd foods. "That...And I wouldn't mind meeting some people of <em>far</em> different cultures than my own."</p><p>However, as the pair conversed, they seemed to be none the wiser to another table, this one featuring three girls; Ibuki, Kaede, and Sayaka, all finishing up their dinners. The former let out a yawn, saying soon after, "Man, Ibuki is getting tired...<em>Loooooooooong</em> day."</p><p>"I'm sorta getting tired too," Kaede admitted, rubbing the back of her head awkwardly, "especially after picking teams. That whole thing left me mentally exhausted."</p><p>"Well, at the very least it's over now," Sayaka summed up, a smile on her face, "instead, we can look forward to the days to come. It's only the beginning after all."</p><p>"Yep, yep," Ibuki confirmed with an excited nod of her head, "can't <em>wait</em> for the first challenge! Oh, maybe it's a talent show; Ibuki's been working on a few songs she <em>knows</em> Chris would love!"</p><p>"I feel like they won't be doing anything that simple...It's just a hunch, but I'm fairly positive that most of them might be either embarrassing or painful...Don't trust the guy." Kaede said, a hint of doubt and wary disdain oozing through. "But honestly, I just don't want to lose the first challenge; this early, basically <em>anyone</em> could go home."</p><p>"Yeah..." Sayaka hummed in agreement, her mind beginning to wander. "...Hey, I have something I'd like to talk to you two about." They turned to her. "It can wait 'till tomorrow though...For now, let's just take the rest of the night to relax."</p><p>"Agreed!" Ibuki cheered, before winking at her. "And hey, maybe now that Makoto is on our team, it'll give you an excuse to...You know." She wiggled her eyebrows with a naughty smirk, quickly causing Sayaka to blush.</p><p>"W-We barely know each other!" Sayaka quickly screamed, causing Ibuki to break into a laugh. And as the two squabbled, Kaede simply looked on with a smile, though for a moment, she felt her attention change...As she saw him.</p><p>Nagito, sitting alone, eating nothing...Doing nothing. All he was doing...Was staring. His eyes were like endless spirals, sinking into depths that quickly shook the minds of all who stared into them. His skin was as pale as a ghost, while his hair was messy and spiking off in different directions, seemingly without consistency. He was an anomaly, pure, and simple...</p><p>"<em>Why did he even help me?"</em> Kaede couldn't help but question, before turning away from him and back to her friends. But he noticed...He had noticed plenty of things in fact.</p><p>As he looked around the room, he could feel it; that wonderful, twisting pain in his chest, that forced that undeniable smile onto his face. <em>"Yes...Yes, this is it..."</em> His body shook for a moment, before he pushed himself to his feet, his long gangly limbs and twisted piano-key smile ringing thick through the loud room. <em>"These beautiful minds...They shall be the ones to foster my needs...The ones who shall show me my true purpose."</em> Running a hand through his hair, he shook another moment. <em>"This..."</em></p><p>"<em>This is </em><em><span>hope</span></em><em>."</em></p><hr/><p>As Mondo got to work eating a slice of pizza, Kiyotaka watched from nearby, coughing into his fist, before taking a moment to breathe in. Walking up to the boy, he muttered, "Mister Mondo, I'm...Aware, that we didn't get off on the best foot today."</p><p>"Yeah, no fucking kidding," Mondo muttered, taking another bite of his food soon after.</p><p>"In spite of this, as we will be on a team together, I only feel it fit that we make amends as to keep up morale on the team." Standing straight, he declared, "As such, I say we treat it as if today never happened, and have a fresh start!"</p><p>Giving the hall monitor a look, Mondo went silent...Before letting out a half-hearted chuckle, "Yeah...Not happening." Placing down the pizza slice, he gave his 'teammate' a cruel glare. "Frankly, I don't give a fuck about a 'fresh start'; you seem like an uptight prick, and I ain't gonna deal with you more than I have to. If you want to 'keep up morale' or whatever, then just don't fucking talk to me, capeesh?"</p><p>"W-What?!" Kiyotaka mumbled, only to get pushed and walked past by the thug, causing the leader to narrow his eyes. "H-How dare- Mondo, get back here right now and <em>apologize</em> for such cruel words! <em>Mondo!"</em></p><p>Nearby, Hina watched Kiyotaka chase after the boy, cringing to herself all the while. "Sheesh...That is not gonna be fun to deal with this Summer." She then took a bite out of her donut.</p><p>"Agreed," Sakura grumbled out, before shaking her head, "though at the very least if Taka simply does as Mondo says, they shouldn't encounter each other much."</p><p>"Yeah, I guess," Hina mumbled, before scanning her friend's face to see...Discomfort. "You okay?"</p><p>"Hmm?" Sakura turned to her and quickly forced a smile. "Ah...Yes, I'm fine. I'm...Just not great in these sorts of social situations. Though...Admittedly, I'm a little disappointed Gonta won't be working with us this Summer."</p><p>"Ah, don't worry about that. Just cause we're on different teams doesn't mean we still can't hang out with him!" Hina cleared up, before grabbing onto Sakura's hand. "In fact, let's go talk to him right now!"</p><p>In an instant, Sakura pulled her hand back and shook her head. "No...While you are right we can still talk with him, I think it's best to let him meet his team tonight. I'd rather not take that away from him...In fact, we should probably get to work on that ourselves. I'd rather not be outcast this early because of not getting to know anybody."</p><p>Flinching at this idea, Hina let out a soft pout...Before nodding along. "Yeah...Yeah, you're right. But could we talk just a little more before we do that? I <em>really</em> wanna plan our next workout! Today's was so <em>intense!</em>"</p><p>Smiling at this idea, Sakura nodded along. "Of course."</p><p>As the two girls talked between themselves, a trio sat at one of the tables. One of them, Kazuichi, watched on uncomfortably as Sonia went about talking to some of her teammates. "Man...This sucks. I spend all day trying to talk to her only to come up with nothing, and now we're not even on the same team."</p><p>"Seems like the world was out to cockblock you today, man," Leon said, patting his friend on the shoulder with a smile, "eh, you'll get 'em next time." Kazuichi only moaned at this, slamming his head onto the table, as Leon turned to Hajime. "How about you man? Find any girls you're into."</p><p>"First of all, it's only the first day, so...No," Hajime pointed out, before adding on, "and secondly, I'm not really out here for a girlfriend or anything. I mostly just wanna win."</p><p>"Yeah, yeah, winning is everything, blah blah," Leon said, leaning back in his chair and folding his arms behind his head, "good luck with that. Heck, I'm not out here looking for anything serious myself, but I certainly wouldn't <em>object</em> to getting a little lucky if you know what I mean."</p><p>"That's...Gross," Hajime shook his head and stood up, "Listen, guys, I'm probably gonna head to bed early. If we have our first challenge tomorrow, I'd rather be ready than not. You should probably do the same."</p><p>"Yeah, yeah, alright <em>mom</em>, I'll keep that in mind," Leon bemoaned, before flashing him a peace sign, "night man." Kazuichi muffled 'night' from the table he was faceplanted into.</p><p>Hajime gave them a wave, and quickly walked toward the exit, his mind mostly blank as he tried to sort through his thoughts. <em>"The first day, and it's already over...Man, it all went by in such a flash. I don't even feel like I made any real connections yet-"</em></p><p>"Hajime," he flinched at the voice, turning to see...Chiaki, standing by the door, staring right through him.</p><p>"Oh. Hey Chiaki. Did you want something or-"</p><p>"Thank you," Hajime rose a brow at her words, as she rubbed her arm and muttered, "I'm...Admittedly not great with paying attention, or-" She took a moment to yawn, "keeping up a good sleep schedule...But you looked after me today, even though we barely know each other."</p><p>"Well...It was just the right thing to do, that's all." He admitted, scratching his cheek awkwardly. "I'm sure anybody would have done it."</p><p>"Yes...But <em>you</em> did it." A comforting twinkle shined in her eyes, and a soft smile wrapped itself across her face. "And for that...Thank you. You're a good guy." And just like that, for the first time that day, Hajime found himself lost for words. "Anyways...I think I'm gonna head to bed myself...Would you mind walking with me?"</p><p>"Uh...Sure, I guess," Hajime stuttered out, before putting on a kind smile, "lead the way." The two exchanged a look, and with that, walked down the stairs from the restaurant.</p><p>As the two left though, one person watched from afar; Kyoko, her eyes navigating the room, taking in all the interactions happening around her with a blank, emotionless look on her face. With narrowed eyes, she tapped her chin, mumbling to herself, "Every interaction counts. Every conversation, every shift in body language, every subtle wish of intent...<em>Anything</em> can change how this game will ultimately result..."</p><p>Lowering her head to take a sip of her tea, she finished with, "So...Let's see if I can take advantage of that."</p><hr/><p>"<strong>Everyone has their reasons for being here. Some are here for the money. Some are here for the experience, or to make friends. Others...Simply had nothing better to do." Kyoko narrowed her eyes. "I'm here to prove something to </strong><em><strong>someone</strong></em><strong>. And I won't allow myself to fail...No matter what, I will ensure I come out of this competition the victor. So, from here on out, every waking moment will be focused entirely on this game."</strong></p><p>
  <strong>Humming to herself, she said simply, "There is </strong>
  <em>
    <strong>no</strong>
  </em>
  <strong> room for mercy. This is a game of politics, and with just enough small changes to the status quo, I'll ensure that I'm not the one sent home every week. Mark my words; I will </strong>
  <em>
    <strong>not</strong>
  </em>
  <strong> allow myself to fail. So...Let the games begin."</strong>
</p><hr/><p>Chris couldn't help but yawn as he forced open the door to his trailer, grumbling out, "Man...What is <em>up</em> with those kids...They better not be that loud all night, I need my beauty sleep." With a shake of his head, he began to walk past his bed, passing by his table in the process.</p><p>Somehow, as he walked past it, he didn't seem to notice that inside a certain cardboard box...A mysterious bear plushie had gone missing.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Host: Chris McLean, Monokuma the Laughing Bear.</p><p>Active Staff: Chef Hatchet, Kaito, Kirumi, Maki, Mikan, Rantaro, Imposter, Teruteru, Toko.</p><p>The Ferocious Tigers: Celeste, Chiaki, Fuyuhiko, Hajime, Hina, Kazuichi, Kiyotaka, Kokichi, Kyoko, Leon, Mahiru, Mondo, Sakura, Tsumugi.</p><p>The Soaring Eagles: Akane, Byakuya, Gonta, Gundham, Hiro, Ibuki, Kaede, Makoto, Miu, Nagito, Nekomaru, Peko, Sayaka, Sonia.</p><p>JABBERWOCK ISLE (Thus far):<br/>Island #0: Jabberwock Park, McLean Rock.<br/>Island #1: Mirai Hotel, Beach, Old Building, McLean Corral, Rocketpunch Market, Cemetery, Airport.<br/>Locked: Pirate Ship.</p><p>-+{X}+-</p><p>AND SO WE HAVE OUR TEAMS! And also a very long chapter. Admittedly a lot of this chapter was me testing the waters with the characters, experimenting with interactions, setting up stuff, and making it so the team choosing process felt natural. It also took forever to write because good God, I was REALLY struggling with introducing a handful of those areas.</p><p>But along with that...The SURPRISE ADDITIONS of both Makoto Naegi and Mahiru Koizumi to the cast! Yeah, that's why those two got that little extra scene in chapter #1, just so you know. To be honest, their addition to the cast was handled this way because...Well, it really goes to show just how unprepared everyone in the cast truly was for the season.</p><p>This whole show in-universe was a rush job, and undercasting sorta fits along those lines, so of course they just toss-in two interns who clearly didn't sign up to compete into this thing, and they just gotta deal with it. I haven't really seen this sorta thing done before (besides my one friend, Jack, pulling it in a story of his), and it felt like a neat twist on the formula.</p><p>On that note, I do apologize for a couple of characters getting fairly limited screen time. Don't worry, they'll get their time to shine. This sorta chapter is just difficult to do that with, since I have so much to introduce.</p><p>Enough about that though, let's get on to fun facts!</p><p>FUN FACTS:<br/>- The Jabberwock Isle's theme song is "Geronimo" by Sheppard. The song is quite literally about the concept of taking on something dangerous through your own bravery, jumping in head-first. And that's basically exactly what everyone is doing here, jumping into the deep end of one of the most dangerous reality shows on the planet.<br/>- Other contestants who were considered for team captains at points were Byakuya, Celeste, Chiaki, and Nekomaru. The former two were even going to be the team captains for the longest time, before I eventually settled on Kiyotaka and Kaede being the more realistic options.<br/>- Mahiru and Makoto were chosen as the interns thrown in to add to the plotlines of a character on their respective teams who lacked relevant interactions with those in canon. AKA, Fuyuhiko for Mahiru, and Byakuya for Makoto.<br/>- An ENTIRE scene was cut featuring Kaede, Peko, and Miu in the library...Cause I remembered the library isn't on island #1. This led to Miu and Peko's hasty rework into the airport scene, though to be honest, I think it worked better than the original plan anyways.<br/>- Writing Miu is a very, very, very bizarre process...I basically have to adopt the mindset of a pornstar who swears too much for their own good in order to write her. This isn't even really a fact I just needed to vent about that.<br/>- The team names are directly lifted from Total Drama Pahkitew Island, specifically from the canon team's originally planned names.</p><p>Now, with all of that said, and this chapter finally completed...I just want to say thank you to everyone who was waiting for the chapter. I do promise future chapters will come out faster. With that said, thank you for reading, and please, let me know your opinions on the cast in reviews! Any support is GOOD support!</p>
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